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Inkstone

South China Morning Post

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A daily digest of the top China stories.

Inkstone

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Director’s plagiarism background may have gotten his movie pulled in China

Guo Jingming was ordered to issue a public apology after being accused of plagiarism in 2003. He didn't apologize until the final day of 2020.

Covid-19 causes health problems six months later: study

A new study from China found that coronavirus patients experienced fatigue, shortness of breath and kidney problems six months after being discharged from the hospital.

Eye doctor calls stabbing ‘pleasant surprise’

Tao Yong is unlikely to ever perform surgery again because of a stabbing that left his hand crippled. But the doctor wants to move on and help people see again.

The primary election that resulted in Hong Kong’s national security mass arrests

Hong Kong’s national security unit arrested 53 former lawmakers and activists on Wednesday. Here is the event that prompted the arrests.

Chinese company fines workers who take more than one bathroom break

A Chinese company was fed up with people playing on their phones while in the bathroom, so they are fining employees who visit the restroom more than once during an 8-hour shift.

‘Touching fish’ becomes unusual work philosophy of China’s Gen Z

China’s Generation Z are encouraging fellow citizens to slack off at work to protest against a culture of working long hours.

Trump has put spotlight on pardons. How does it work in China?

The US has a long tradition of Presidents using the pardon power. In China, the tool is used a lot less often, but it tends to affect a larger number of people.

Live in a poor area? Don't smoke or you're more likely to be poor yourself

A new study found that people who live in poor areas and have a family member who smokes are more likely to live in poverty than those who don't.

China is trying to press mute on noisy public transportation

The government is set to trial a "quiet car" option for its high-speed rail network and the city of Shanghai will punish people who use audio without headphones on the subway.

Menstrual cycle leave may make it harder for women to find work

A province in northeastern China announced new rules that would force companies to provide days off for women on their menstrual cycle. Some people in China worry that companies will not hire women because of the rules.

K-pop may help end China’s dispute with South Korea

BTS's famous song ‘Dynamite’ played on a Beijing radio for the first time in years. It may actually be a big moment.

The weird, wacky and wonderful newsmakers of 2020 in Greater China

In a year filled with loss, disruptions and jarring surprises, news events that would be deemed unusual and quirky by previous standards can serve as a reminder of life’s bountiful offerings in a difficult period.

Court’s punishment of 9-year-old girl highlights concern with China’s expansive social credit system

A Chinese court withdrew the decision to punish a nine-year-old girl who couldn’t repay her dead father’s debts. The case triggered a heated debate over flaws in the nation’s social credit system

The days of the Chinese mega skyscraper appear to be over

China is home to 44 of the world's 100 tallest buildings, but a directive from Beijing means they are the last of a dying breed.

Love killer: How the Covid-19 pandemic has left the world a more violent place for the LGBTQ community

In a world battling a lethal global pandemic with a mounting death toll, there are still countries that will kill you for consensual same-sex activity.

Baseball boys: Movie portrays struggle of China’s growing number of ‘left-behind’ children

A new documentary gives hope and courage to the plight of poor children in rural China.

Chinese granny finds freedom in ‘Eat Pray Love’ road trip

She had sacrificed her personal happiness for decades to try and fit China's ideals for the role of a woman in society. She decided it was time to be herself, and is now finding happiness by driving all over China.

‘We feel lucky to have survived’: How one family found itself in the middle of a Covid storm

Covid-19 could not defeat three generations of this Wuhan family, who are now calling for the truth from their government about how the crisis was handled.

Giant buddha rediscovered in China with a high rise apartment built on top of it

A 30ft. stone statue of Buddha was revealed to the general public after maintenance workers removed dead trees and trash. Residents who had lived there for decades had no idea it existed.

Chinese buzzwords reveal unease and aimlessness

Social inequality, overwork and pandemic fatigue dominated the most popular new phrases in China.

Man arrested for doxxing and ‘slut shaming’ Chinese woman with Covid-19

China often publishes the personal information of people who contracted Covid in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease. But it has many people wondering if it's a privacy violation.

Why Elliot Page’s coming out won’t help China’s trans community

Elliot Page is embraced for coming out as transgender, but China’s community wouldn’t dare divulge its secrets

Murder of the ‘perfect victim’ exposes societal failure to protect women against domestic violence

Tragic death a reality check to China’s efforts to curb domestic abuse

The three young women behind China's Chang'e 5 lunar mission

Chinese state media celebrated three women working in the Chang’e 5 lunar exploration mission. The coverage is welcomed by many Chinese women in the science field, as they try to break through the glass ceiling in a country where patriarchy runs deep.

Sexual illiteracy is creating an HIV crisis in China

The world is seeing fewer cases of HIV every year, but in China, the number is growing rapidly. Experts say a lack of sexual education is causing the spread of the disease.

How to navigate a Covid Christmas and stay safe

Much of the world is in the midst of a wave of coronavirus cases, and most experts suggest that people make alternative plans for the holiday. Here are how some places are grappling with a muted Christmas season.

Hot Tibetan herdsman and Xinjiang horseback riding beauty are leading a regional tourism push

The success of Zhaxi Dingzhen, currently China's most handsome man, has led other regional governments to scramble and find local influencers to help boost their tourism. He Jiaolong, a 41-year-old government worker in Xinjiang is leading the pack.

‘As if you don’t exist’: facing anti-blackness in Hong Kong and China

A new podcast in Hong Kong has spotlighted anti-Black racism in Hong Kong, a problem that is equally prevalent on the mainland.

Chinese internet rages against ‘actress’ who criticized Covid-19 health leader

An obscure actress sparked debate after criticizing the role of Zhong Nanshan, China’s equivalent to Anthony Fauci. One problem is that the “actress” might not even exist.

Death of ‘soccer god’ sparks nostalgia among Chinese fans

For Chinese millennials, the death of Diego Maradona allowed them to remember watching soccer games with their fathers, and mourn the loss of their youth.

Next time you fly, don't forget your Covid passport

Traveling is going to look a lot different for a long time because of the coronavirus pandemic. One step to returning to near normalcy may be a "Covid passport" that certifies immunity.

A mystery man in a helmet beats facial recognition in China

A man visited a real estate exhibition wearing a motorcycle helmet to avoid detection from facial recognition cameras. The video has gone viral as many people in China ask if the cameras are being used too much.

The ‘markets’ where Chinese parents peddle love for their adult children

A relatively recent tradition, China’s “marriage markets” are dominated by anxious parents advertising for potential partners for their adult children – often without their consent.

Two vaccines look promising, here is what you need to know

Moderna announced this week that they have a vaccine that was 95% effective in trials. A joint project between Pfizer and BioNTech released similar statistics. So what does it all mean?

Running and video games may be the key to winning quarantine

A new study says that activities that require full mental immersion go a long way to improving mental health during long quarantine periods.

China's working moms still being held back

Many new mothers say they are being forced to stay at home to look after their children, while others believe they are being held back in the workplace after giving birth.

Walking your dog could get your dog killed in Yunnan

A Chinese county tried to institute a controversial policy that would have required authorities to capture and kill dogs if their owner walked them in public three times. The backlash was fierce.

Stinky tofu and mapo tofu are wonderful. Why haven't they caught on in America?

Tofu has for hundreds of years been an essential part of East Asian cuisines, but Americans only started to appreciate the versatile and nutritious ingredient in recent decades.

Hong Kong lawmakers disqualified after a Beijing resolution

Four opposition lawmakers in Hong Kong were disqualified after a new resolution from Beijing allowed the city’s government to bypass the courts.

Parents in China feel like tutors. They are fed up

A province in China issued a directive that threatened teachers with consequences if they continued to use parents as pseudo-after school tutoring programs.

He kissed a man, lost his job. Now he is suing China’s biggest airline for unjust firing

A former flight attendant of China Southern Airlines lost his job after a video of him kissing another male colleague went viral. He is now suing his former employer, the biggest air carrier of China and in Asia, for unjust firing.

Brutal child abuse case shows limits of tolerance in China

A boy in southern China might lose his hands after his father burned him with cigarettes and lighter over the years. But the growing number of cases in China may be more about a refusal to tolerate corporate punishment.

Blackpink finds themselves in panda diplomacy storm

The K-pop group Blackpink released a video that included one member holding a baby panda while wearing makeup and touching the mouth of an adult. People in China were not happy.

Chinese elderly are collecting coins thrown from funeral hearses

A new green initiative means people in China are tossing coins out of hearses for good luck. An enterprising group is taking advantage to make a few bucks.

How everyday Chinese people saw the US election

The 2020 presidential election in the US has yet to result in a winner. In China, many people spent their days following the election. The residents of the authoritarian state found the democratic process "exciting" and "entertaining."

Halloween proves scary for fans of traditional Chinese festivals

A man scolded an after-school school worker for celebrating Halloween, a Western holiday. It sparked a debate about whether or not they should be celebrated in China.

‘Shy Trump voters' may prove decisive in 2020

In the US, pollsters are trying to pinpoint Trump supporters that are too shy to admit their preference. In Hong Kong, it is the Biden supporters who are often outnumbered.

Inside the Xinjiang city on coronavirus lockdown

The ancient city of Kashgar in Xinjiang has gone into lockdown as it fights to keep a coronavirus outbreak at bay. Our reporter offers a window inside the deserted city.

School principal sparks debate about becoming housewife

A girls’ school principal said she would never take donations from alumni who become full-time housewives. And furniture salespeople were seen slapping themselves while kneeling during a staff training program.

Distribution may be the hardest step of Covid-19 vaccine journey

The toughest part of vaccinating the world during the pandemic may not be whether or not the drug works, but how to deliver it globally.

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