Taiwan earthquake, Kobe Bryant’s lookalike in China, Singapore’s 34-year-old grandma: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

The Taiwanese government has rebuffed an offer of help extended by Beijing as the island contends with the aftermath of a deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Wednesday morning, killing at least nine people. At least 934 people are reported injured and 56 remain trapped in the quake that struck off the east coast at 7.58am and sparked tsunami warnings.

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will announce a “historic” agreement next week that will “upgrade” the two countries’ security relationship, deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said on Wednesday.

The rugby sevens tournament is held annually in Hong Kong over a weekend in late March or early April, now spanning three days. The 2024 edition is expected to be the final one hosted at its long-time venue, Hong Kong Stadium.

A Dubai prince who made waves in Hong Kong recently appears to have gained fame as a singer-songwriter with a fan base in the Philippines before he decided to set up a US$500 million family office in the city, the Post has learned.

Senator Imee Marcos, sister to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, has voiced her disagreement with her brother’s recent efforts to counter China’s aggression in the South China Sea, saying that it’s leading the country down a “dangerous path”.

An online influencer from Singapore, who became a grandmother at the age of 34, has promised her 17-year-old son who is the father to “give him more support”. Shirli Ling, 35, who runs a chicken hotpot restaurant, has 17,000 followers on Instagram.

An influencer in China who bears a striking resemblance to the basketball legend Kobe Bryant has made 80,000 yuan (US$12,000) in just 10 days. Ma Jinghui, 21, from the southwestern province of Yunnan, saw his