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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

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.

Gisele Pelicot in Nimes, southern France in October. Photo: AFP

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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How the wall outside the store in Causeway Bay used to look. Photo: Handout

Opinion

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

Europe and America’s warmongering and genocide-enabling are at the roots of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical flashpoints.

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese. Photo: AFP

Europe

Purrfect? Larry the cat marks 15 years – and 6 PMs – as UK’s chief mouser

Many cats have occupied the post since the 1920s with historical records even showing them in government residences in the era of Henry VIII.

Larry, the official 10 Downing Street cat. File photo: AP
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Hong Kong Economy

Early flower blooms in warm weather add to sellers’ woes at festival fairs

Temperatures aside, vendors say competition from rivals over border and poor economy have dampened consumer spending.

Flowers for sale at Victoria Park. “Winter has become like summer, which is not a good phenomenon for flowers or farmers,” says Li Wing-keung, director of Keung Kee Garden. Photo: Dickson Lee

Diplomacy

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

PLA Navy risks exposing sensitive technology as factors including more open-sea operations heighten crash risks, military magazine warns.

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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

Middle East

11 die in Israeli air strikes on Gaza, say Palestinian officials

Israel’s military says the strikes – days before Trump’s first Board of Peace meeting – were a response to ceasefire violations by Hamas.

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Palestinians mourn during funerals in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Photo: EPA

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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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addresses a session of the Munich Security Conference on February 14. Photo: Reuters

Europe

‘Work to be done’: EU says it’s not ready to give Ukraine a membership date

Ukraine applied to join the ‌EU days after Russia’s invasion almost four years ago, seeking to anchor itself to the West.

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European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addresses the media in Brussels in November. Photo: AP
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Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | Hong Kong’s success debunks the false binary of security vs freedom

Contrary to what external critics might say about Hong Kong, the national security regime has helped build a foundation for the city’s comeback.

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Visitors walk through the newly opened Sai Ying Pun Harbourfront Park on January 10. Photo: Karma Lo

Australasia

Australia unveils billions for nuclear submarines under Aukus security pact

The vessels, under agreement with the UK and the US, are at the heart of a major strategy to improve long-range strike capabilities.

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Australia’s HMAS Waller submarine is seen in Sydney Harbour in 2016. Photo: AFP

Europe

Social media ‘weaponises’ children, says UK expert on gender healthcare

The ‘tiny’ number who will ‘never be comfortable’ with their biological sex need support as well as those who will ‘grow out of this’.

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Children hold signs and transgender pride flags during a transgender rights rally in 2024 in Washington. Photo: AP

Travel & Leisure

Chinese tourists flock to Korea for beauty treatments ahead of Lunar New Year

Korean dermatology clinics have seen a surge in Chinese customers of late and are courting them via Chinese social media.

Tourists walk through Myeong-dong in Seoul, in September 2025. A rising number of Chinese tourists are visiting South Korea for skin treatments. Photo: The Korea Times

Society

Hong Kong cyclist dies after crashing into kerb on notorious Bride’s Pool Road

Rider, 49, sustained head injury and lost consciousness after hitting kerb on Bride’s Pool Road near Wang Chung Stream.

Bride’s Pool Road, a scenic and winding route in Tai Po, has a history of fatal accidents. Photo: Google Maps
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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

Racing

So looks for luck as Top Dragon gets lightweight in Year Of The Horse Cup

Luckless in the Classic Mile, the Pierata galloper gets his chance from barrier one in Thursday’s feature.

Chris So has a smart team at Sha Tin on Thursday. Photos: Kenneth Chan

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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China controls most of the world’s rare earth mining and nearly 90 per cent of all processing and refining capacity. Photo: Reuters

Russia & Central Asia

Russia seized 12 eastern Ukraine villages so far in February: army chief

Valery Gerasimov’s words to Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine came days before US-mediated talks on ending almost four years of war.

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Valery Gerasimov (left), the Russian army’s chief of staff, visits soldiers amid the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry via AFP

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.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan visits the Lunar New Year flower market at Victoria Park on Valentine’s Day. Photo: Handout
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Chinese culture

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

Draco Malfoy’s Chinese name reflects how the character for ‘horse’ influences China’s language, culture, greetings, translations and more.

Shoppers take a selfie in front of a poster featuring Tom Felton as his Harry Potter character Draco Malfoy at a mall in Shangqiu, in China’s central Henan province. Find out more about how the Year of the Horse influences Chinese culture, from fireworks to linguistics, and why Draco Malfoy is an unexpected Lunar New Year icon. Photo: AFP

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

China Economy

China puts another big bank under stricter watch – why now?

Beijing continues to impose stricter regulatory standards on major lenders, shielding the financial system from mounting strains.

A signboard of China Zheshang Bank is seen at its branch in Beijing on March 14, 2016. Regulators have now tightened oversight of the bank. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong Economy

From fireworks to racing, how Hong Kong is celebrating the Year of the Horse

Here is your guide to events beginning on February 17 ushering in the new year.

A performer dressed as the God of Wealth for Chinese New Year Raceday at Sha Tin Racecourse in 2024. Photo: Dickson Lee

World Opinion

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

Asian funds are no longer treating US Treasuries as the default destination for their surplus capital, but as one option among many.

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The Department of the Treasury building in Washington, DC, on August 20, 2022. Photo: AFP
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Law and Crime

Hong Kong police arrest man after HK$25,000 in cash stolen during flight

City recorded 169 cases of cabin theft on inbound flights in the first 10 months of 2024, involving property worth HK$4.3 million.

Police have urged passengers to stay vigilant, lock carry-on luggage and keep valuables or cash on their person or with companions when leaving seats. Photo: Getty Images

Racing

Seraph Gabriel continues on Derby trail as Eustace targets Sha Tin winners

Helene Supafeeling and Riding Together help strengthen the trainer’s hand on Thursday’s Lunar New Year card.

David Eustace at Happy Valley. Photos: Kenneth Chan

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

Health & Environment

Can Malaysia’s ban stop global flow of toxic e-waste?

Malaysian customs recently intercepted nearly 200 tonnes of e-waste, but high shipping volumes make detection a ‘challenge’, officials say.

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Shipping containers are seen stacked in Port Klang on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: AFP

Trending in China

Cyber New Year trending with China youth who buy virtual goods, use digital incense

While festive traditions remain very much alive, young people are increasingly finding celebratory solace in AI friends and electronic goods.

The “cyber Lunar New Year” trend is popular among younger generations in China, which includes burning digital incense, purchasing virtual goods, and using AI-generated characters for companionship during the holiday. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/RedNote/Baidu