South China Morning Post - January 02, 2026

LEE SPELLS OUT PRIORITIES FOR NEW INTAKE OF LAWMAKERS

Rise in hospital fees sparks confusion, call for clinic slots

Beijing praises HK for living up to expectations

Be a potato: resilience of the staple resonates as another year arrives

POSTS FROM THE PAST

Wet start to the year

DRONE VIDEO SPARKS TAIWAN DEBATE

Japan business heads shelve China trip

Bars and hotels feel benefit with 25% rise in visitors

Hong Kong welcomes six babies into world in first hour of New Year’s Day

Affluent ‘make their money by age of 39’

Updating sexual offence laws for survivors’ sake

48

NEW RULES ON SMOKING TAKE EFFECT

Man held over drugs after wife found dead

Musk Starlink satellites present ‘safety and security’ risk, Beijing says

Wang takes aim at Tokyo in call with Seoul counterpart

NO LET-UP IN WAR ON GRAFT, XI WARNS

Let the river run

Bite put on snake owner who lost thumb

Since Trump’s return to office, China’s strategy has become very clear: to use pressure to push negotiations and to use negotiations to stabilise the relationship

42,000

TAIWAN TENSIONS UNLIKELY TO AFFECT U.S.-CHINA STATE VISITS

Back to the future

New year speech by Lai full of lies and malice: Beijing

Father of bride receives ‘flogging’ in wedding ritual

Shop owner uses mouse pads and socks as clothing tags, sees sales double

TRAVELLERS FEEL UNEASY OVER U.S. SOCIAL MEDIA BID

Kim lauds ‘invincible alliance’ with Russia ahead of Beijing visit by rival

Killings still haunt Japan, 25 years on

The mane event

It’s not a bad thing if it makes people think twice about what they post online … but ... the biggest question is which platforms they will be sifting through

Dozens feared dead in fire at Swiss ski resort bar

New beginnings

KYIV JUST ‘10%’ AWAY FROM PEACE DEAL WITH RUSSIA

Challenges begin for Mamdani as New York mayor

Troops to be withdrawn from three US cities in legal retreat by White House

Bulgaria adopts euro amid hopes and fears

Reason to be bullish

HK should take a frontier role in China’s development

New strategy for the Northern Metropolis may be game changer

Expectations are clear for Legco members

Unfounded concerns

Five financial myths for investors to beware of in 2026

Irresponsible use of AI is damaging academic integrity

Hongkongers can only grit their teeth as medical costs rise

Tai Po fire probe must find out why alert system was not used

There be monsters . . .

CK HUTCHISON’S PANAMA PORTS DEAL FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE

M&A market poised for 2026 expansion as investors regain confidence

Fed moves in 2026 could see cut in HK interbank rate

Engineering intensity

-0.87%

13%

CHINA ‘TO CORNER THIRD OF GLOBAL E.V. TRADE BY 2030’

Back to the daily grind

Small restaurants starve as consumers suppress appetite

Air France-KLM optimistic over China travel market

The digger picture

ROBOTAXI GIANTS DRIVE INTO MIDEAST

How ‘world’s supermarket’ rode out Trump tariffs

Travel sector embraces pets and bespoke holidays

Mainland rocket maker LandSpace closes in on 7.5b yuan Shanghai listing

TSMC gets nod for US tech at China plant

Universal Crossword

Daily Crossword

Kokonotsu Supersudoku

Bridge

Sudoku

Target

Yesterday’s solution:

A little perfection of taste

A plant-based take on bringing Singaporean food back to the Lion City

11 new restaurants to visit in January

Abalone for a dollar? Aunties and uncles just love this expo

Where an Italian goes for pizza and Peking duck

Back to the silhouettes of the 1980s

FROM BAD BOY TO PATRIOTIC IMAGE AS A FAMILY MAN

Keep it simple ... sleep more and move it for your health and wellness

STORM RIDER BAGS GROUP THREE UNDER SUBLIME TEETAN RIDE

Rising Force lands massive betting plunge, while Smart Golf lights up the turf

Size continues his mid-season surge with smart double

Jump for Joy

Chelsea and Italian manager Maresca part company

Next generation of Winter Olympians nurtured by ace speed skater

‘TERRIFIC’ NEW YEAR UPSWING FOR RACING

It takes two

Joshua discharged after fatal car crash

Sabalenka seeks ‘Battle of the Sexes’ rematch