1 hour ago Impulse control: Malaysia’s social media ban targets teen minds

Eric Wong is only 20, but his life online is so consuming that he struggles to draw a line between his digital presence and the physical world. A member of Malaysia’s Gen Z – those aged 13 to 29 this year – Wong belongs to the first generation of true digital natives, raised on a steady stream of social media, online gaming and endless internet connectivity. “If there’s time in between classes, me and my friends will gather in the cafeteria or the nearby mamak (food stall) to play PUBG or Mobile...

Events

17 h. ago China woman, 47, shares civil servant life in Iceland, appreciates culture that respects choices

A 47-year-old Chinese woman shares her idyllic life as a civil servant in a remote town in Iceland, igniting interest and spirited discussions on social media in mainland China. The woman, known as Megan, hails from Beijing. In 2020, at the age of 42, she decided to pursue a second master’s degree in Iceland, a few years after her divorce. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and her first master’s in business computing in the UK before transferring to a new energy major at a...

Politics

17 h. ago China woman shares civil service life in Iceland, admires culture that respects choices

China woman shares civil service life in Iceland, admires culture that respects choices  South China Morning Post

Politics

32 h. ago NASA's Mars Sample Return is dead, leaving China to retrieve signs of life from the Red Planet

NASA's Mars Sample Return is dead, leaving China to retrieve signs of life from the Red Planet  Live Science

Events

37 h. ago As families shrink, our primary relationship is increasingly with ourselves

More than 2,300 years ago, Aristotle mused in Politics that to live alone, a man must be a god or a beast, or words to that effect. I wonder what he would have thought of the popularity of China’s “Are You Dead?” app. For Aristotle, we are social animals, thriving in the “polis” in the company of family, friends and fellow citizens. The average mother had at least five children. Many homes housed three, even four, generations. Family life was noisy and crowded, full of companionship, contest and...

Politics

42 h. ago In Xi’s winter wonderland, life without coal is the coldest comfort

In Xi’s winter wonderland, life without coal is the coldest comfort  The Times

Politics

46 h. ago Hong Kong temperatures to fall to 12 degrees next week as winter monsoon arrives

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to sharply dip to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday next week as a cold front moves through the city midweek. The Hong Kong Observatory said the fine and relatively warm weather on Friday, brought by a dry northeast monsoon,...

Politics

48 h. ago Nepal, Belt and Road to Big Brother: Surveillance Tech in China’s Sphere of Influence

Nepal, Belt and Road to Big Brother: Surveillance Tech in China’s Sphere of Influence  Bitter Winter

Science

48 h. ago Nuclear power projected to reach 22% in China by 2060, catalyzed by coal

Nuclear power projected to reach 22% in China by 2060, catalyzed by coal-to-nuclear conversion  EurekAlert!

Events

54 h. ago An app’s blunt life check adds another layer to the loneliness crisis in China

An app’s blunt life check adds another layer to the loneliness crisis in China  Los Angeles Times

Events

61 h. ago Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms as winter crisis deepens

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukraine was running out of options to strike a deal to end almost four years of war with Russia, as thousands were without heating in Kyiv in -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures following waves of Russian strikes on the country’s energy grid. Moscow has not backed down from its intention to seize the rest of east Ukraine as the fourth anniversary of its offensive – Europe’s worst war since World War II – looms. “The situation is...

Events

62 h. ago To break its coal habit, China should look to California’s progress on batteries

To break its coal habit, China should look to California’s progress on batteries  Climate Home News

Politics

64 h. ago China's 'Are You Dead?' app goes viral as young people seek a one

China's 'Are You Dead?' app goes viral as young people seek a one-tap proof of life  TRT World

Events

68 h. ago Alibaba’s Qwen AI app hits 100 million users as upgrade broadens role in daily life

Alibaba Group Holding has rolled out a major update to its flagship Qwen artificial intelligence app, integrating it more deeply into the company’s expansive ecosystem, from online shopping to travel booking, as it pushes to make the service an AI-powered gateway to daily life. The upgrade came as Qwen surpassed 100 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of January, said Wu Jia, vice-president of Alibaba, at a corporate event on Thursday in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, where...

Events

3 d. ago Philippines ‘comfort women’ demand apology during Japan foreign minister visit

An advocacy group representing Filipino victims of wartime sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers will renew its decades-old demand for a formal state apology and reparations as Japan’s foreign minister visits the Philippines this week. The group, Lila Pilipina (League of Filipino Grandmothers), said it plans to press its appeal during the visit of Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who is set to arrive on Thursday. “We demand a formal public apology and reparation based on the apology,” said...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong man who claimed to be reincarnated Thai king gets life for axe murder

A Hong Kong man who claimed to be the reincarnation of a late Thai king has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the gruesome murder of an elderly man four years ago. The High Court on Wednesday sentenced 35-year-old Mang Yat-lam to mandatory life in prison after a seven-member jury unanimously rejected his claim that he had been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the random attack. Mang, who was unemployed, told the court he did not know his victim, 70-year-old Cheung...

Events

3 d. ago I'm 32 and have lived abroad for nearly a decade. Now, I'm weighing life in China against returning to the US.

I'm 32 and have lived abroad for nearly a decade. Now, I'm weighing life in China against returning to the US.  Business Insider

Politics

3 d. ago At least 4 migrants have died in US immigration custody since start of 2026

Four migrants died while in custody of US immigration authorities over the first 10 days of 2026, according to government press releases, a loss of life that followed record detention deaths last year under US President Donald Trump. The deaths included two migrants from Honduras, one from Cuba and another from Cambodia, and occurred from January 3-9, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Trump administration was aiming to ramp up deportations and has increased the...

Events

3 d. ago China's December coal, iron ore, crude imports, steel exports hit record highs

China's December coal, iron ore, crude imports, steel exports hit record highs  Reuters

Events

3 d. ago China’s Coal Ban Improved Air Quality, but Villagers Are Paying the Price

China’s Coal Ban Improved Air Quality, but Villagers Are Paying the Price  The New York Times

Economics