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Asia
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A rehearsal for China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala 2026. Photo: Handout

China’s tech companies vie for attention on CCTV’s festival gala

ByteDance, Unitree, RedNote, Bilibili and Kuaishou among the firms involved in the unparalleled nationwide marketing opportunity.

Beijing warns tech giants to curb ‘involution’ amid AI giveaway war

Artificial intelligence
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Diplomacy

In Munich, US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter China

Washington and its Indo-Pacific and European allies emphasise need for cooperation to counter Beijing’s military build-up.

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Diplomacy

Could the US unlock China’s rare earths grip with AI and quantum computing?

Technologies for synthesising substitutes or alloys could cut time required to secure critical materials to just a few years.

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Hong Kong Economy

New think tank launched to bridge talent gap in Hong Kong studies

Hong Kong Future Economy Institute’s director says focus on global topics at local universities has led to fewer people researching pressing local issues.

Diplomacy
A J-35 stealth fighter prepares for take-off from the flight deck of the Fujian, China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier. Photo: Xinhua

Why Chinese navy still trails the US in high-stakes game of underwater recovery

Diplomacy

China allows visa-free entry to British, Canadian nationals

Move leaves US citizens as the only ones from the Five Eyes alliance who still cannot enter China without a visa.

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Foreign tourists take in the sights in the Bund area of Shanghai. Photo: Xinhua
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Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong visitor arrivals off to strong start in 2026, up 9.6% to 7.23 million

Financial Secretary Paul Chan says 1.43 million mainland Chinese visitors expected during Lunar New Year holiday, up 6 per cent from last year.

Politics

Why Indonesia’s US$1.67 billion China-backed dam is in limbo

Even energy regulators were kept in the dark about the abrupt crackdown that has spooked renewables investors.

Business

The secret ingredient in your daily life: why Malaysian palm oil is used around the world

Found everywhere from food products to biofuel, this vegetable oil is preferred for its versatility, safety and sustainable production.

In partnership with:
MPOC
Palm oil is a versatile ingredient found in a wide range of everyday items, from ice cream and cake to lipstick and biofuel.

United States & Canada

US boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean

Veronica III is a Panamanian-flagged ship under US sanctions related to Iran, according to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

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US forces board the sanctioned vessel Veronica III in the Indian Ocean on Sunday. Photo: Department of War via X / Handout via Reuters

Diplomacy

As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silence

For long, China was a magnet for America’s rhetorical aggression. Now, it is the Europeans who are under fire.

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United States & Canada

‘Hello Girls!’: Epstein was a Hasty Pudding donor for years after sex conviction

Epstein made annual US$50,000 donations to the Harvard University club and filled his table with ‘girls’ at its gala, according to files.

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Big Tech

ByteDance ‘strengthening safeguards’ after Seedance AI video controversy

Pledge comes after Hollywood, governments speak out against tool amid deluge of video clips featuring celebrities, copyrighted characters.

Characters from Star Wars, a Disney property, are among the copyrighted material the Seedance tool can purportedly produce. Photo: Reuters

Tech

Why cooling is the new chips: China pivots to AI’s heat challenge

Chinese manufacturers are moving aggressively into liquid-cooling technologies as hyperscalers expand data-centre infrastructure.

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An employee conducts maintenance in a server room of the China Mobile Hohhot Data Centre in Hohhot in Inner Mongolia. Photo: Xinhua

Europe

Pelicot says mindsets need to change in fight against sexual violence

Gisele Pelicot, who was repeatedly drugged by her then husband and offered to strangers for rape, is releasing a book about her experiences.

Society

Did Hong Kong souvenir shop tread on IP rights with viral ‘MTR station’ wall?

Wall featured signs nearly identical to ones found in rail stations before workers took down lettering.

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Russia & Central Asia

US ‘not disputing’ European report on Navalny poisoning, Rubio says

The UK and 4 allies concluded in the report that Russia poisoned the opposition figure with a toxin from a poison dart frog.

Police officers detain Alexei Navalny in Moscow on March 5, 2012. The Russian opposition leader died in an Arctic prison colony on February 16, 2024, in murky circumstances. Photo: AFP
SERIES: Year of the Horse 2026

Feng shui advice for Oxen for love, health and money in the Year of the Horse

Feng shui master Andrew Kwan shares where Oxen can put lucky coloured items at home and work for good fortune in the Year of the Fire Horse.

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How can those born in the Year of the Ox use feng shui to improve their luck in love, money and health this coming year? Feng shui practitioner Andrew Kwan shares advice. Photo: Shutterstock

Middle East

Israel to begin West Bank land registration in step to deepen control

The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now said the ‘dramatic’ move probably amounts to a ‘mega land grab’ from Palestinians.

United States & Canada

Glove found near Nancy Guthrie’s home appears to match one worn by suspect: FBI

The glove was sent off for DNA testing. The 84-year-old vanished from her Arizona home on January 31 in an apparent abduction.

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OPINION
Sophie Wushuang Yi

Opinion | Can Manila’s South China Sea strategy of defiance and diplomacy hold?

Sophie Wushuang Yi
Alex Lo

My Take | China and the UN are not the problem in Ukraine and Palestine – the West is

Alex Lo
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SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong will approach Year of the Horse with optimism and resilience

SCMP Editorial
James David Spellman

Opinion | Why Asia’s sovereign wealth funds are rethinking US Treasuries

James David Spellman
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Hong Kong police’s fight against scams needs more public support

SCMP Editorial
Harry’s View | 16 Feb 2026
February 16, 2026
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LATEST

Politics

Why Indonesia’s US$1.67 billion China-backed dam is in limbo

United States & Canada

‘Hello Girls!’: Epstein was a Hasty Pudding donor for years after sex conviction

Opinion

Editorial | Hong Kong will approach Year of the Horse with optimism and resilience

Chinese Zodiac

Feng shui advice for Oxen for love, health and money in the Year of the Horse

Hong Kong Economy

New think tank launched to bridge talent gap in Hong Kong studies

United States & Canada

US boards another oil tanker in Indian Ocean after tracking it from Caribbean

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SCMP Series
Year of the Horse 2026
Challenges and pathways in the South China Sea
Beijing’s recalibration of its Taiwan policy
China Inc. goes global
People browse stalls at the Lunar New Year flower market in Victoria Park on February 12. Photo: Elson Li
SCMP SeriesYear of the Horse 2026

Editorial | Hong Kong will approach Year of the Horse with optimism and resilience

As the city marks the Lunar New Year, it can rest assured that the economy seems to be in good shape and the focus is on opportunities ahead.

Feng shui advice for Oxen for love, health and money in the Year of the Horse

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Why is Harry Potter enemy Draco Malfoy trending ahead of the Year of the Horse?

Open Questions series

Global Economy

Open Questions | Why Trump’s April trip to China may not deliver ‘grand bargain’: James Zimmerman

The American Chamber of Commerce in China chairman says this year’s expected Trump-Xi meetings can put countries on a ‘visionary’ path.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau on why China must ‘work smarter’ and how it can invent from scratch

China must shift from quantity to quality by focusing on 12-year schooling, more basic research and GBA integration, renowned economist says.

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China

Open Questions | How China’s 15-fold rise in Latin America dents US influence: Francisco Urdinez

A leading scholar says US action in Venezuela shows how Beijing’s economic ties now face rising geopolitical pushback.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China Future Tech
China Future Tech
Key Industries:
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Live Q&A webinars

China’s AI arms race sees sector brace for major flagship model launch week

A ‘stealth’ model has emerged, while advancements by Alibaba’s Qwen-3.5 and Zhipu’s GLM-5 aim to spur domestic competition following releases by US heavyweights.

China’s AI sector is bracing for a monumental week, with a flurry of anticipated model releases. Photo: Shutterstock

Big Tech

China’s tech companies vie for attention on CCTV’s festival gala

ByteDance, Unitree, RedNote, Bilibili and Kuaishou among the firms involved in the unparalleled nationwide marketing opportunity.

Big Tech

ByteDance ‘strengthening safeguards’ after Seedance AI video controversy

Pledge comes after Hollywood, governments speak out against tool amid deluge of video clips featuring celebrities, copyrighted characters.

Tech

The AI future is now, and markets are reacting differently in the US and China

Investor jitters grow in the US as AI reshapes expectations, but China’s markets have so far reacted with caution rather than panic.

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) stocks came under pressure this week amid concerns their business models could be undermined in an AI-driven economy. Photo: AFP

Military

Will China’s state-backed thriller spill details of little-known spy cases?

‘Scare Out’ depicts leak of PLA jet secrets, and some speculate the plot could be based on true story involving stealth fighter tech.

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“Scare Out”, directed by Zhang Yimou, will debut in mainland China cinemas on February 17. Photo: Weibo

Companies

Pop Mart balances boom and bust: can Labubu’s leap match Molly’s momentum?

As Labubu’s meteoric rise cools, Molly’s longevity highlights the challenge Pop Mart faces in turning hype into stable intellectual property.

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Diplomacy

How Manila’s ‘naming and shaming’ challenges Beijing’s South China Sea stance

Analysts say the Philippines’ approach of ‘assertive transparency’ may be wearing thin at home and in the region.

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Diplomacy

The Philippines wants to seal South China Sea code of conduct. Can it deliver?

As 2026 Asean chair, Manila has highlighted its push to finalise within its term a code of conduct covering the contested waters.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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