Advertisement
Advertisement
-
Latest

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.

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

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
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

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.

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.

videocam
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

Golf

Kim completes remarkable comeback story with victory at LIV Golf Adelaide

After a decade away from the sport and battles with drugs and alcohol, Anthony Kim outduels Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau in Australia.

Anthony Kim celebrates after winning the individual title at LIV Golf Adelaide. Photo: AFP

Southeast Asia

Malaysia seeks to seize Saudi prince’s overseas assets worth US$115 million

The 1MDB funds are held in several Swiss bank accounts belonging to Turki Abdullah Al Saud.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s office in Putrajaya. Photo: Shutterstock
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Entertainment

Why these 2 films from Hong Kong director Allen Fong are New Wave masterpieces

‘Father and Son’ and ‘Ah Ying’, which both won best film at the Hong Kong Film Awards, are compelling neo-realist explorations of Hong Kong.

videocam
Hui So-ying in a still from Ah Ying (1983), a neo-realist masterpiece from director Allen Fong that won best film and best director at the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards.

Society

15 injured as 2 Hong Kong-bound coaches collide on Shenzhen Bay Bridge

Parts of bridge’s Tuen Mun-bound lanes closed to traffic due to accident, Transport Department says.

The collision took place on the Shenzhen Bay Bridge. Photo: May Tse

Law and Crime

Hong Kong aims to add facial recognition to public CCTVs this year: police chief

Commissioner of Police Joe Chow says high-traffic and strategically located shopping centres will be prioritised.

CCTV cameras in Mong Kok. Photo: Eugene Lee

China Economy

Fading US dollar trust threatens world economy, ex-IMF official warns

Former Chinese central banker Zhu Min says military spending, government debt and interest rates also among risks to financial markets.

6
Zhu Min, seen here at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last year, is the former deputy director of the International Monetary Fund and former deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China. Photo: World Economic Forum / Sandra Blaser

Big Tech

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

Companies should ‘uphold a fair and competitive’ environment to ‘foster innovation and healthy development’, regulator says.

An advertisement for ByteDance’s cloud and AI service platform Volcano Engine and chatbot Doubao hangs in Beijing Capital International airport in Beijing on February 5, 2026. Photo: AFP
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Southeast Asia

‘Everyone became greedy’: how Vietnam’s crypto gold rush ended in ruins

Vietnam’s crypto boom faces a harsh winter as investors lose fortunes, bankruptcies and lay-offs roil the industry.

videocam
A Vietnamese cryptocurrency investor looks at the latest bitcoin values on a laptop in Hanoi. Photo: AFP

Football

Birthday boy Ibrahim wants to have his Hong Kong Senior Shield cake and eat it too

Rangers striker Yakubu Nassam Ibrahim hoping to make up for the ‘real hurt’ of last year’s FA Cup final loss to Eastern.

Yakubu Nassam Ibrahim (centre) celebrates with teammates Matias Panigazzi (left) and Kim Min-gyu after scoring in the Senior Shield semi-final. Photo: BC Rangers

Business

Year of the Horse kicks off with property mega-deals returning to Asia-Pacific

Large institutional capital is flowing back into Asia-Pacific property, with offices, retail and hotels leading early recovery signs.

Shanghai surprise: the Asia-Pacific region’s property markets have surged 130 per cent since 2024. Photo: Shutterstock

Politics

Indonesians weigh peril and promise of Jakarta – the world’s most populous city

Extreme heat, floods, pollution, congested traffic and a tough job market are some of the major challenges faced by the city’s residents.

A view of traffic during evening rush hours in the business district in Jakarta, Indonesia, on February 3. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong

Gallery | Hong Kong through the lens of South China Morning Post photographers

Hong Kong Tourism Board’s float and young dancers showcase their talents. Photo: Dickson Lee
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Food & Drink

He saw Guangzhou as a challenge. Now, his restaurant has a Michelin star

Chef Louis Tam’s Chowa earned a Michelin star in Guangzhou, defying the city’s fine dining norms with his rebellious Japanese-French cuisine.

Chef Louis Tam’s bold culinary vision has earned Chowa, which he opened in 2023, a Michelin star in Guangzhou. Photo: Hei Kiu Au

Transport

Hong Kong to fully review plans for bus seat belt rules before relaunch: minister

Transport chief vows to ‘conduct a fresh and comprehensive review and widely consult the community’.

Last month, authorities repealed a law requiring bus passengers to buckle up. Photo: Eugene Lee

Middle East

‘For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking’: US eyes expanded Iran strikes

The plan raises regional conflict fears and comes ahead of next week’s talks between the two sides in Geneva.

videocam
Women pose with a poster depicting Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution in Tehran on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Opinion

Opinion | Cambodia’s scam factory survivors find no escape in freedom

A government crackdown freed thousands, but with no passports or support, survivors have simply traded captivity for destitution.

People carry their belongings onto a bus as they leave a suspected scam centre compound in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, last month. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

Beijing has increased engagement with countries in the Sahel following the French military exit, and with Russian weapons in short supply.

videocam
People gather in support of a coup in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 2022. A wave of military coups across the Sahel has ended traditional alliances and security frameworks. Photo: Reuters
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Companies

Why a 2,000-fold pay gap for Hong Kong board members may be a troubling sign

Far wider disparity than other markets may indicate talent issues on the low end, lack of independence on the high end, lawmaker says.

Among companies listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange’s main board, director pay fell 3 per cent from a year earlier to HK$269,697. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Wellness

This Singapore-based executive lost 21kg in 9 months and cured his knee pain

Weighing 93kg was a wake-up call for Ben Payet, whose health journey fixed a knee issue that threatened to stop him running for good.

Ben Payet at his heaviest weight of 93kg in October 2024 (left) and at his current weight of 72kg, which he first achieved in July 2025. Photo: UP Singapore

Law and Crime

Taxi driver, 79, arrested after elderly woman knocked down in Hong Kong

Police officers arrest cabby on suspicion of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm, with woman taken to hospital for treatment.

The victim, who was found in a semi-unconscious state, was rushed to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital for treatment. Photo: Jelly Tse

Health & Environment

New Zealand catches flak for ‘secret’ US critical minerals talks

Opposition parties accuse the ruling coalition of keeping voters in the dark, fearing a fast track to environmental damage.

Mining machinery in Greymouth, New Zealand. The South Pacific nation has reserves of 37 critical minerals key to clean energy development and advanced technology manufacturing, according to official assessments. Photo: AFP

United States & Canada

Barack Obama blasts ‘clown show’ after Trump’s racist monkey video

The ex-president said most Americans ‘find this behaviour deeply troubling’ and it will hurt the Republicans in the midterm election.

Former US president Barack Obama. Photo: Getty Images/TNS