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China Opinion

Opinion | How China’s research prowess will shape course of 21st century

China has gone from rice paddy to the world’s factory, but it will complete its modernisation in research labs.

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Gong Xianzu, head of division of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak Physics and Experimental Operations, observes data during an experiment in Hefei, Anhui province, on January 19, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

United States & Canada

Trump flip-flops again, saying UK’s Chagos deal would be ‘big mistake’

The US president had said only weeks ago that the agreement on the Diego Garcia military base was the ‘best’ UK PM Starmer could make.

Diego Garcia is seen from the air. Photo: US Navy via AP

Diplomacy

Chinese steel hit with duties up to US$670 per tonne after Brazil dumping probe

Government anti-dumping investigation found Chinese imports were being sold at unfairly low prices, harming domestic producers.

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A worker stacks steel products meant for the export market at a factory in Binzhou, Shandong province, China, on April 15, 2025. Following two investigations, Brazil has imposed anti-dumping duties on a broad range of Chinese steel products. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Has Trump ceded EV market to China with latest string of policy shifts?

Analysts say rolling back regulations pushes US further towards petrol cars, discourages EV innovation, and gives China competitive edge.

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The BYD Explorer vessel docks at Yantai port in eastern China’s Shandong province as it awaits the loading of Chinese electric vehicles for export overseas. Photo: AFP

Europe

Pope Leo laments world ‘in flames’ at Ash Wednesday service

The pontiff said the ashes could represent cities destroyed by war, as well as the damage to the environment and international law.

Pope Leo XIV puts ash on the head of one of the faithful during the Ash Wednesday Mass at the Santa Sabina Basilica in Rome. Photo: Reuters
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United States & Canada

US factory output surges by most in nearly a year

Manufacturing has been hobbled by Trump’s tariffs, which business leaders say have raised costs for factories and consumers.

Line workers assemble a chassis of a General Motors pickup truck at the Flint Assembly plant in Michigan. Photo: AFP

Society

Japan travel warning after Hongkonger beaten with beer bottle in Sapporo

Visitor beaten on head at a restaurant in the Japanese city, Chinese consulate says.

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Sapporo is a popular winter holiday destination. Photo: Getty Images

Southeast Asia

Thailand wants to act as ‘bridge’ for Myanmar’s return to Asean fold

Myanmar’s junta leaders have been excluded from Asean summits since the 2021 military coup that toppled a democratic administration.

Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Than Shwe (left) chats with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow ahead of bilateral talks in Phuket on Wednesday. Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Reuters

Racing

SCMP Best Bets: Champion can be crowned for punters at Sha Tin

SCMP Best Bets: Champion can be crowned for punters at Sha Tin

Racing

Who wins at Sha Tin? Gabriel to sprout wings en route to Hong Kong Derby

Jay Rooney provides an extended rundown of his tips for the Lunar New Year meeting.

Seraph Gabriel in action in a recent Sha Tin trial. Photos: Kenneth Chan
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Politics

Exclusive | China widens anti-corruption net to catch ‘quasi-naked officials’

Top graft-busters quietly step up scrutiny of officials with children living overseas, with some losing promotion opportunities and jobs.

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For more than a decade, “naked officials” have been banned from leadership positions in state or Communist Party organs, and insiders say the restrictions are tightening. Photo: AFP

Russia & Central Asia

Russia demands ‘concrete’ proof that it poisoned Navalny with dart frog toxin

Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands claim Russia had the ‘means, motive and opportunity’ to kill its opposition leader.

Lyudmila Navalnaya touches the portrait of her son, Alexei Navalny, at his grave in Borisovskoye Cemetery, Moscow, on Monday. Photo: AP

Military

Chinese coastguard reveals growing reliance on drones at Scarborough Shoal

Lunar New Year post gives rare look at the role of uncrewed aircraft in training and operations near disputed South China Sea reef.

Qiu Canhui operates a drone aboard the Chinese coastguard vessel Wanshan near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on February 11. Photo: Xinhua

Opinion

My Take | Forget Canada, the real 51st American state appears to be gullible Australia

Aside from the first island chain of encirclement against China, much of the other island ‘defence’ chains look more like vassalising the not so ‘lucky country’ among others in the South Pacific.

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US President Donald Trump greets Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House in Washington on October 20, 2025. File photo: AFP

China Economy

China targets foreign tourists for Lunar New Year ‘consumption feast’

Beijing sees huge untapped potential in spending by inbound travellers as it strives to drive up demand over the crucial nine-day holiday.

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Tourists from Russia take selfies on the Bund in Shanghai. China is keen to drive up spending by inbound travellers over the Lunar New Year. Photo: Xinhua
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Politics

India, France elevate defence ties in push for strategic autonomy

The deal reflects India’s shift from ‘transactional defence buying’ amid expanding security engagement with Europe, analysts say.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they arrive for the India-France Year of Innovation and Cultural Commemoration event in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photo: EPA

World Opinion

Opinion | Europe’s selective defence of the global order will sway no one

If Europe genuinely seeks to restore credibility to international law, it must first confront its own record of selective adherence.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens

Australasia

Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home

This is the first known use of a temporary exclusion order introduced in 2019 to prevent high-risk citizens from returning to Australia.

Australian family members of suspected Isis militants walk toward a van bound for the airport during the first repatriation operation of the year at Roj Camp in eastern Syria on Monday. Photo: AP

Politics

12 killed in China’s second deadly Lunar New Year firework explosion

The blast in Hubei came days after a similar incident in Jiangsu that prompted calls from the government to prevent a repetition.

The incident was the second deadly firework incident over the current holiday period. Photo: Handout

China

Tears flow as Su Yiming, Xu Mengtao finally make it a golden Games for China

Su Yiming upgrades the slopestyle silver he won in Beijing four years ago, while compatriot Xu Mengtao defends women’s aerials title.

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Su Yiming cries tears of joy after winning men’s snowboard slopestyle gold at the Winter Olympics. Photo: EPA
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Society

Footbridge linking Hong Kong’s Central Pier with IFC to close for demolition

New temporary walkway to open on Thursday, developer Henderson Land says.

The footbridge linking Hong Kong’s Central Pier with the International Financial Centre will be demolished. Photo: Edmond So

Tech Trends

Moonshot AI targets US$12 billion valuation as revenue surges for Kimi models

The latest round was jointly led by existing investors including Alibaba, Tencent, Andon and 5Y Capital, according to a source.

Moonshot’s flagship Kimi K2.5 was named one of the strongest open models in the world by third-party benchmark firm Artificial Analysis. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year fireworks dazzle as visitor numbers gallop ahead

City leader John Lee vows to carry out reforms at full speed, says to public ‘let’s march forward bravely and confidently together’ in new year.

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Spectators get a prime view of the fireworks from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Politics

Hong Kong’s sports minister regrets comments about coach of local football team

Rosanna Law vows to be more careful with personal opinions after questioning Ashley Westwood’s coaching of team during Asian Cup qualifying match.

Hong Kong fans show their disappointment after Hong Kong’s loss to Singapore at the Asian Cup qualifiers at Kai Tak Stadium on November 18 last year. Photo: Sam Tsang

Travel & Leisure

The Instagram effect: an Italian village is paying the price for being too pretty

Santa Maddalena, a photogenic village in the Italian Dolomites, has to endure hordes of unruly visitors showing up just to take a photo.

The picturesque village of Santa Maddalena, in Italy’s Dolomites, is drawing hordes of visitors from all over the world, but the overtourism is affecting its residents. Photo: Christoph Sator/dpa
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Law and Crime

Hong Kong bus driver alleged to have deliberately crashed on bridge granted bail

Lee Kai-po, 63, has been charged with dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm.

Seventeen coach passengers sustained minor injuries in the crash. Photo: Handout

Europe

Ukraine war talks in Geneva wrap up in 2 hours with no sign of breakthrough

Neither side revealed what they discussed or whether any agreement had been reached, but both said the discussions had been ‘difficult’.

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Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky (centre) leaves after the second round of US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday. Photo:AFP

Tech Trends

China’s humanoid robot orders surge after Spring Festival spotlight

Interest also spiked in Noetix’s Bumi, a companion robot that appeared in a family-themed comedy sketch at the gala.

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Robots perform during China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala 2026 on Monday. Photo: Handout

China

Open-source sci-fi beloved in China tech circles sends geeks to ‘fix’ late Ming

The Morning Star of Linggao has attracted attention in the US but has remained outside the Chinese mainstream.

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A poster for open-source time-travel novel The Morning Star of Linggao which has been continuously added to by often anonymous contributors for nearly 20 years. Photo: Handout

Law and Crime

Hong Kong court grants bail to British man filmed wrecking airport kiosks

Youcef Bennoui, 35, charged with criminal damage and must pay HK$5,000 and report daily to police as part of bail conditions.

A video on social media showed Youcef Bennoui, 35, pushing over several self-check-in kiosks in the departure hall and repeatedly striking them with a stanchion. Photo: Handout