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2026-03-13 20:17:52 UTC

Judge quashes subpoenas of Fed chair, says investigation was ‘politically motivated’
A federal judge on Friday quashed US Justice Department subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve in January, a severe blow to an investigation that has already attracted strong criticism on Capitol Hill.
Judge James Boasberg said that a “mountain of evidence suggests” that the purpose of the subpoenas was simply to pressure the Fed to cut its key interest rate, as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell revealed the investigation on January 11, prompting Senator...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346568/judge-quashes-subpoenas-fed-chair-says-investigation-was-politically-motivated?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 07:16:52 UTC

2 Tiananmen vigil activists have case to answer in subversion trial, court rules
Two former leaders of a now-disbanded alliance behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil have a case to answer in a high-profile trial after judges ruled the evidence supported prosecutors’ allegations that the activists incited others to overthrow the Communist Party leadership.
Three High Court judges on Friday found that the evidence appeared to suggest Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung committed a subversion offence as leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346478/2-tiananmen-vigil-activists-have-case-answer-subversion-trial-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 05:40:33 UTC

HKEX opens door for small innovative firms to list with biggest reforms since 2018
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has unveiled its biggest listing reforms since 2018, broadening its special listing regime for innovative companies and opening the door for smaller and more diverse firms to list in the city, the bourse operator said on Friday.
HKEX proposed lowering the minimum threshold for companies to list under the weighted voting rights regime to a minimum valuation of HK$20 billion (US$2.6 billion), half the current requirement of at least HK$40 billion.
It will...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346458/hkex-opens-door-small-innovative-firms-list-biggest-reforms-2018?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 05:18:50 UTC

‘Two sessions’ webinar
This year’s ‘two sessions’, China’s biggest annual political gathering, featured the announcement of the lowest GDP growth target in decades and official approval for the 15th five-year plan.
SCMP Plus hosted a webinar to discuss these developments with three experts from the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. Other topics included the upcoming US-China presidential summit, President Xi Jinping’s purge of the military and efforts to reshape the economy.
The panel...
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https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3346449/two-sessions-webinar?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 04:34:06 UTC

Cambricon, China’s ‘little Nvidia’, to pay maiden dividend after profitable 2025
Cambricon Technologies, a Chinese semiconductor designer seen as a potential alternative to US giant Nvidia, will pay its maiden dividend after posting its first full-year profit since listing in 2020.
Cambricon, dubbed “little Nvidia”, planned to distribute a cash dividend of 15 yuan (US$2.2) for every 10 shares held, totalling more than 632 million yuan, according to its filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Thursday.
Another 20 million yuan would be allocated for share buy-backs, taking...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346447/cambricon-chinas-little-nvidia-pay-maiden-dividend-after-profitable-2025?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 04:00:12 UTC

China beats US, Japan in carbon-fibre arms race to create world’s first T1200 factory
China has become the first country to mass produce the strongest carbon fibre, which has wide applications for defence industries such as aerospace, drones and robots, state broadcaster CCTV’s military channel reported on Wednesday.
The domestically developed T1200-grade fibre has a tensile strength 10 times greater than ordinary steel, yet it is less than one-tenth of a human hair in diameter, according to the state broadcaster.
Mass production of the ultra-strength fibre at a projected output...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346398/china-beats-us-japan-carbon-fibre-arms-race-create-worlds-first-t1200-factory?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 02:30:08 UTC

US returns for WWII dead of Japan’s ‘hell ship’ tomb in the Philippines
They were killed by American bombs. They were held at gunpoint by Japanese guards who fired indiscriminately into the crowded holds and when the ship finally went down, many were left to drown. Eight decades later, the United States is coming back for them.
Hundreds perished when the Japanese “hell ship” Oryoku Maru was sunk in Subic Bay in December 1944. Now, the Pentagon has launched a multi-year mission in waters off the Philippines to retrieve their remains.
As many as 250 Americans are...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346424/us-returns-wwii-dead-japans-hell-ship-tomb-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 01:35:07 UTC

US sanctions 2 firms, 6 individuals for funding North Korean weapons
The United States has imposed sanctions on two companies and six individuals for their roles in operations that used information technology workers in foreign countries to raise money for North Korea.
The Treasury Department said the schemes, orchestrated by the North Korean government, had systematically defrauded US businesses and generated revenue to fund North Korea’s weapons programmes, including nearly US$800 million in 2024.
The department also accused workers associated with North Korea...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346426/us-sanctions-2-firms-6-individuals-funding-north-korean-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 01:00:13 UTC

US-Israel war on Iran: Indian homes stockpile electric stoves to beat gas crunch
Indian households are rushing to buy electric induction stoves, draining ⁠stocks online and in stores, ⁠amid fears of a potential cooking gas ⁠shortage tied to the Middle East conflict.
India, the world’s second-largest importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), has invoked emergency powers to boost supplies for households even as availability tightens for commercial users including canteens, hostels and restaurants.
Meanwhile, consumers are buying electric cooking appliances as a precaution,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346413/us-israel-war-iran-indian-homes-stockpile-electric-stoves-beat-gas-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-13 00:40:00 UTC

Swire sells part of Cathay Pacific stake for HK$1.8 billion to boost working capital
Conglomerate Swire Pacific has sold part of its stake in Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways for HK$1.8 billion to raise working capital.
In a rare move, the group revealed on Friday that it sold 153.05 million shares at HK$11.74 each the previous day. This marks a 9.6 per cent discount to the last traded price of HK$12.99 on Thursday.
It marked the latest shareholder to reduce its stake in Cathay, following Air China’s sale in January for HK$1.32 billion.
In a Hong Kong stock exchange...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346425/swire-sells-part-cathay-pacific-stake-hk18-billion-boost-working-capital?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 11:15:10 UTC

Ant smuggling rises in Kenya as Chinese national caught with 2,238 insects at airport
A man was arrested with more ⁠than 2,200 live ⁠garden ants in his ⁠luggage at Nairobi’s main airport this week amid a rise in cases of smuggling of the insects in Kenya.
Chinese national Zhang Kequn, 27, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta ‌International Airport on Tuesday while he was trying to leave the country, court filings on Thursday showed. Immigration officials flagged a “stop order” on Zhang’s passport after he evaded arrest in Kenya last year.
Ant aficionados pay large sums to ⁠maintain...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346382/ant-smuggling-rises-kenya-chinese-national-caught-2238-insects-airport?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 11:13:14 UTC

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip swaps policy for photo cards at ComplexCon
Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee will hold a fan meet-and-greet at this year’s ComplexCon in the city, underscoring the senior government adviser’s enduring online popularity since ending her 17-year tenure in the Legislative Council.
Seventy-five-year-old Ip, convenor of the government’s top decision-making Executive Council, will join guests including Jennie from K-pop group Blackpink, American rapper Yeat and Korean R&B singer Crush at the two-day event later this month.
The...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346389/former-hong-kong-lawmaker-regina-ip-swaps-policy-photo-cards-complexcon?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 06:11:05 UTC

From net worth of US$580 to US$580 million, China school dropout builds steamed bun empire
A school dropout from eastern China who survived a violent attack and bankruptcy has built a steamed bun empire that generates 180 million yuan (US$26 million) annually.
Liu Huiping, 49, hails from Anhui province, famously known as China’s “hometown of dough makers.”
To ease the financial burden on his parents, Liu left secondary school early. He initially learned furniture making before shifting his focus to the craft of Chinese buns.
In 1998, with a 4,000-yuan (US$580) loan, Liu ventured to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346323/net-worth-us580-us580-million-china-school-dropout-builds-steamed-bun-empire?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 03:52:03 UTC

‘Outdated intelligence’: US faces mounting evidence in deadly strike on Iran school
Outdated intelligence likely led to the United States carrying out a deadly missile strike on a junior school in Iran that killed over 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the conflict, according to a US official and a second person briefed on findings of a preliminary US military investigation into the incident.
The bombing of the school and its casualties involving children has become a focal point of the war, and if ultimately confirmed to be at the hands of the US,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346300/outdated-intelligence-us-faces-mounting-evidence-deadly-strike-iran-school?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 03:48:52 UTC

Malaysian man jailed for 10 months, fined US$12,700 over Facebook post insulting Islam
The administrator of a Facebook account has been jailed 10 months and fined 50,000 ringgit (US$12,700) by the Sessions Court in Miri, Sarawak, over a post deemed insulting to Islam.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said John Mule anak Alai, 48, was convicted under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities.
“MCMC takes seriously any form of misuse of digital platforms that insults religion, incites hatred,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346298/malaysian-man-jailed-10-months-fined-us12700-over-facebook-post-insulting-islam?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 03:09:54 UTC

Preparing for the worst? US bunker maker claims big demand in Middle East
Since the war in the Middle East began nearly two weeks ago, the phone at Ron Hubbard’s bomb shelter company in Texas has not stopped ringing.
Foreign and US clients are rushing to buy his bunkers, seeking refuge in case of air raids, nuclear fallout or apocalypse.
With the United States and Israel pounding Iran, and Tehran retaliating with strikes across the region, Hubbard has seen demand for his product soar, mostly from Gulf nation clients in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab...
https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1280x720/public/d8/images/canvas/2026/03/12/e5852fd3-43d7-4d43-aa3b-48f6bf176d9d_40e7dd50.jpg?itok=OSfu_2uy&v=1773284991
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346295/preparing-worst-us-bunker-maker-claims-big-demand-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 02:30:08 UTC

China’s five-year jet goals target C919 output, a new engine and reduced reliance
Beijing aims to accelerate the rise of China’s home-grown airliner fleet, including the C909 regional plane, C919 narrowbody and C929 widebody, through 2030.
This push to challenge the duopoly of Boeing and Airbus comes as a national five-year plan calls for aircraft production, development and the roll-out of a domestically developed engine.
The next five years will prove vital to the success of the three aircraft models and the continued localisation of critical parts such as engines,...
https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1280x720/public/d8/images/canvas/2026/03/11/6e9c9922-a5d7-4a74-883a-db9bdfcdc7e6_19fef01f.jpg?itok=dMnEN0GP&v=1773225467
https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346236/chinas-five-year-jet-goals-target-c919-output-new-engine-and-reduced-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 01:12:19 UTC

Meta disables 150,000 accounts in global sting on Southeast Asian scam centres
Meta disabled more than 150,000 accounts and Thai police arrested 21 people in a sweeping international crackdown on Southeast Asian criminal scam centres that targeted people around the world, the social media giant said on Wednesday.
The operation was led by Thailand’s Royal Thai Police Anti-Cyber Scam Centre alongside the FBI and the US Justice Department’s Scam Centre Strike Force, with Meta investigators acting on intelligence shared in real time by law enforcement.
Online scam networks –...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346280/meta-disables-150000-accounts-global-sting-southeast-asian-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 01:01:13 UTC

‘Cyber confession room’ where China youth share struggles like financial problems gains traction
At first glance, it is just a photograph of an empty room. But on mainland social media, it has become something else entirely: a virtual confessional.
Beneath such posts, users anonymously unburden themselves to strangers, sharing the guilt, anxiety and struggles they cannot voice to family or friends.
Traditionally, the confessional in Christianity is a space where believers admit their sins to a priest and seek absolution.
Such so-called cyber confession rooms have recently surged in...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346064/cyber-confession-room-where-china-youth-share-struggles-financial-problems-gains-traction?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-12 00:00:07 UTC

Why Iran and North Korea are ‘highly likely’ to revive missile and nuclear cooperation
As war with the United States and Israel batters Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure, analysts say Tehran is likely to turn to North Korea once again after the fighting stops, reviving a long-suspected partnership built on shared hostility towards Washington and years of military cooperation.
North Korea has long been suspected of supplying missile technology to Iran and providing technical help on uranium enrichment, and analysts say it is likely to do so again after the war.
“North Korea...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346232/why-iran-and-north-korea-are-highly-likely-revive-missile-and-nuclear-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 23:30:08 UTC

Chinese firms with success in go-global efforts poised to reap profit rewards
Overseas expansion and a commodity boom have put Chinese companies trading on the mainland in a position to beat their offshore-listed peers in earnings, cementing the outperformance of yuan-denominated stocks since the outbreak of Middle East hostility.
The 300 largest mainland-traded companies may post average 2025 profit growth of 6.3 per cent during the coming earnings season, while the growth rate for the firms in the Hong Kong exchange’s benchmark Hang Seng Index would be a mere 2 per...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346207/chinese-firms-success-go-global-efforts-poised-reap-profit-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 05:15:17 UTC

Is Iran’s vital oil hub Kharg Island in America’s crosshairs?
Kharg Island, a scrubby stretch of land in the northern Gulf, handles almost all of Iran’s crude exports and any attempt to seize it would mark a major escalation in the conflict, analysts have said.
The US and Israel have so far treaded carefully around the island, but an Axios report over the weekend cited Trump administration officials saying capturing Kharg was on the table as the war in the Middle East persists.
The island, located around 30km (19 miles) off the Iranian mainland, handles...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346181/irans-vital-oil-hub-kharg-island-americas-crosshairs?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 04:45:46 UTC

Cathay posts 9.5% rise in profit to HK$10.82 billion but warns of geopolitical risks
Cathay Pacific Airways’ net profit climbed 9.5 per cent to HK$10.82 billion (US$1.39 billion) in 2025, driven by increased capacity and robust cargo demand, as the Hong Kong flag carrier’s chief warned of disruptions from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Cathay Group chairman Patrick Healy said on Wednesday that the results marked the airline’s third consecutive year of growth. But he cautioned that global geopolitical tensions were unsettling businesses and pushing up fuel prices.
Hong...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346177/cathay-posts-95-rise-profit-hk1082-billion-warns-geopolitical-risks?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 04:30:15 UTC

China’s size, strength insulates its energy security amid geopolitical shocks: lawmaker
Despite its heavy reliance on oil and gas imports, China’s “national strength” insulates its energy security from short-term geopolitical shocks, a prominent petroleum geologist said.
Jin Zhijun, dean of the Institute of Energy at Peking University, said that China – as a large country – could ensure its energy security amid a volatile international energy trading landscape, with multiple contingency plans in place.
They included tapping more domestic resources by increasing oil and gas...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346173/chinas-size-strength-insulates-its-energy-security-amid-geopolitical-shocks-lawmaker?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 02:40:37 UTC

Singapore man to be charged over TikTok videos on race, government
A 59-year-old man will be charged in a Singapore court on Wednesday over four videos he posted on TikTok between 2023 and 2025, the police and Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office said on Tuesday.
The videos contained content which promoted ill will between different racial groups as well as false statements of fact, police and the POFMA Office said in a joint news release.
He will be charged with two counts of defamation and one count of attempting to promote...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346164/singapore-man-be-charged-over-tiktok-videos-race-government?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 02:30:21 UTC

Elon Musk on course to become world’s first trillionaire as wealth soars
Elon Musk’s estimated US$839 billion net worth has made him the wealthiest individual ever recorded, Forbes said on Tuesday, as billionaires worldwide saw their combined fortunes surge in the past year to an all-time high of US$20.1 trillion.
Musk topped the Forbes World’s Billionaires list for the second consecutive year after his fortune swelled by roughly US$500 billion over the past 12 months, driven by rising valuations at Tesla and SpaceX, which is targeting a public offering in 2026.
He...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346162/elon-musk-course-become-worlds-first-trillionaire-wealth-soars?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 02:10:04 UTC

Hong Kong stocks extend rebound as proposed release from oil reserve soothes fears
Hong Kong stocks rose on Wednesday as fears over surging oil prices eased and Chinese tech names rebounded after a deep rout.
The Hang Seng Index gained 0.5 per cent to 26,028.00 as of 9.36am. The Hang Seng Tech Index edged up 0.6 per cent. On the mainland, the CSI 300 Index and the Shanghai Composite Index were little changed.
Oil prices fluctuated after the Wall Street Journal reported that the International Energy Agency proposed the largest ever oil release from its strategic reserve. The...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3346160/hong-kong-stocks-extend-rebound-proposed-release-oil-reserve-soothes-fears?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 01:30:12 UTC

Hong Kong tycoon urges prudent approach to development amid global uncertainty
A Hong Kong property tycoon has called for a more prudent approach to the city’s development rather than accelerating projects amid global uncertainties, saying the industry’s willingness to invest in the Northern Metropolis hinges on the health of the market.
Far East Consortium chairman David Chiu Tat-cheong also described the megaproject’s new land disposal approach – which requires winning bidders to handle multiple developments on a large plot – as good intentions with unintended negative...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346140/hong-kong-tycoon-urges-prudent-approach-development-amid-global-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-11 01:00:10 UTC

Inseparable China triplet brothers hold weddings on same day, grow up sharing everything
A group of triplet brothers in central China has trended on social media for holding a joint wedding event on the same day.
The collective nuptials were held in Shangqiu, Henan province, at the beginning of March, Jimu News reported.
The three men were born after the year 2000. Their exact age is not clear.
One of them, who is ranked second on account of the time of his birth, said he and his brothers have never spent time apart since childhood.
“We did everything together. We wore the same...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345529/inseparable-china-triplet-brothers-hold-weddings-same-day-grow-sharing-everything?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 06:22:42 UTC

War in the Middle East: nearly 500 dead in Lebanon from Israeli offensive since last week
Escalating hostilities have forced nearly 700,000 people to flee their homes in Lebanon over the past week, a UN agency said on Monday, as the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah entered a second week.
Lebanon has been pulled deep into the war in the Middle East since Hezbollah opened fire to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, igniting an Israeli offensive which has killed nearly 500 people in Lebanon, ‌according to Lebanese authorities, with the death toll...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346067/war-middle-east-nearly-500-dead-lebanon-israeli-offensive-last-week?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 05:42:31 UTC

Chinese embassy warns nationals in UK of scammers posing as Hong Kong ICAC staff
The Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom has warned its citizens in the country to beware of scams involving fraudsters posing as staff from Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog.
In a statement on Monday, the embassy said criminals had recently posed as staff of the city’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to carry out telecommunications fraud.
The criminals falsely accused victims of offences such as money laundering, pressuring them to cooperate in a bogus “investigation” and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346063/chinese-embassy-warns-nationals-uk-scammers-posing-hong-kong-icac-staff?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 05:13:19 UTC

Hong Kong monitors fuel prices as Iran war sparks ‘premature and unfair’ hikes
Authorities are communicating with local oil companies to monitor how the war in the Middle East is affecting Hong Kong’s fuel market, amid a public backlash over what has been called premature price hikes.
Responding to a South China Morning Post inquiry on Tuesday, the Environment and Ecology Bureau also said the government had been urging oil companies to provide more data on auto-fuel prices.
“In light of the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the government has been in touch...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346060/hong-kong-monitors-fuel-prices-iran-war-sparks-premature-and-unfair-hikes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 04:35:33 UTC

Hong Kong Airlines to raise fuel surcharges by up to 35% amid oil price surge
Hong Kong Airlines will raise its fuel surcharges by up to 35.2 per cent from Thursday amid soaring oil prices driven by escalating conflict in the Middle East, becoming the first local carrier to do so.
The airline announced on its website on Tuesday that fuel surcharges for tickets issued on or after March 12 would be increased.
Travellers on flights between Hong Kong and the Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal will face the sharpest increases, with charges rising 35.2 per cent from HK$284 (US$36)...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3346054/hong-kong-airlines-raise-fuel-surcharges-35-amid-oil-price-surge?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 04:23:09 UTC

Mistaken for drunks, left to die: Thailand’s police have a deadly blind spot
Warissara* survived the crash. It was the next four hours that killed her.
The 21-year-old had been riding home from her restaurant job on the night of February 20 last year, caught in heavy rain on a slick Bangkok road, when she came off her motorbike.
Emergency responders who arrived at the scene found only a few visible scratches – and detected the smell of alcohol. She had no identification on her. The call was made: send her to the police station, not the hospital.
She arrived at...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346046/mistaken-drunks-left-die-thailands-police-have-deadly-blind-spot?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 03:46:01 UTC

E-payments to attract more riders, cut fare disputes: Hong Kong taxi industry
Mandatory e-payment in Hong Kong taxis could attract more residents and visitors to use the service, as about 90 per cent of drivers are ready to meet the requirement ahead of its implementation next month, an industry representative has said.
Ryan Wong Cheuk-pong, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi Council, said on Tuesday that drivers could also benefit from e-payments by reducing disputes over fares and no longer worrying about a lack of change.
“E-payments have become a trend and many residents...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3346042/e-payments-attract-more-riders-cut-fare-disputes-hong-kong-taxi-industry?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 03:11:18 UTC

China’s exports surge 21.8% in first 2 months of year
China’s export growth accelerated sharply in the first two months of this year, defying last year’s high base while experts pointed to the likelihood of strong momentum for the rest of the year.
Exports rose by 21.8 per cent from a year earlier to US$656.58 billion in the combined figures for January and February released by the customs administration on Tuesday.
This represented a huge jump from the 6.6 per cent growth recorded in December and the 5.5 per cent climb recorded for all of last...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3346036/chinas-exports-surge-218-first-2-months-year?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-10 02:23:14 UTC

Wealth, drugs and rape: US luxury real estate stars convicted of sex trafficking
Three brothers, including two of America’s most successful luxury real estate brokers, were convicted of sex trafficking charges on Monday after a five-week trial over accusations that they used drugs and force to rape scores of women they had dazzled with their wealth and opulent lifestyle.
The verdict came after 11 women testified they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers: twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 38, and Tal Alexander, 39. All three of the men shook their heads as the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346030/wealth-drugs-and-rape-us-luxury-real-estate-stars-convicted-sex-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 21:30:08 UTC

AI is forcing journalism to rediscover what the profession actually does
Around the world, news organisations are racing to create rules for artificial intelligence. Editors debate whether reporters may use AI to draft text, summarise documents or help in research. Some outlets promise readers they will disclose when a machine helps write an article. Others hope credibility will come from avoiding AI altogether.
But this debate begins with a mistaken assumption: that journalism earns trust because journalists physically write the sentences themselves.
That has never...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345269/ai-forcing-journalism-rediscover-what-profession-actually-does?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 06:12:38 UTC

Hong Kong tycoon Adrian Cheng doubles down on tech in step with China’s 5-year plan
Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, former heir apparent to Hong Kong property giant New World Development (NWD), plans to spend more time in mainland China and increase his tech investments this year, with a focus on a range of sectors from artificial intelligence to aerospace, echoing China’s latest five-year plan.
“If our country can realise [the 15th five-year plan], we would be stable and secure, and our future will definitely be promising,” Cheng, who is a member of the Chinese People’s Political...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/3345918/hong-kong-tycoon-adrian-cheng-doubles-down-tech-step-chinas-5-year-plan?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 05:51:51 UTC

Former Apple Daily executive editor appeals 10-year sentence in Hong Kong
The former executive editor-in-chief of Hong Kong’s defunct Apple Daily newspaper, founded by Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, has lodged an appeal against his 10-year sentence imposed under the national security law.
Lam Man-chung’s lawyer filed the application at the Court of Appeal on Friday, ahead of the statutory 28-day deadline for criminal appeals expiring on Monday.
The 56-year-old is the second defendant to seek a reduced sentence after Fung Wai-kong, 62, managing editor of Apple Daily’s English...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345937/former-apple-daily-executive-editor-appeals-10-year-sentence-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 05:39:27 UTC

Surcharges eyed as Hong Kong fuel prices set to rise amid Iran war
Hong Kong’s transport sector is considering a temporary fuel surcharge for deliveries as pump prices are expected to climb further this week amid rising Middle East tensions, industry representatives have said.
Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, governor and honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, said on Monday that fuel prices in the city had been climbing even though petrol retailers were still selling inventories bought before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which drove up...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345934/surcharges-eyed-hong-kong-fuel-prices-set-rise-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 05:34:00 UTC

Malaysia vows to hold petrol prices as oil nears US$100 a barrel amid Iran war
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday that his government would do whatever it took to keep RON95 petrol at 1.99 ringgit (50 US cents) per litre – even as the US-Israel war on Iran pushed global crude prices towards US$100 a barrel.
“We will do our best to ensure the price of RON95 remains at 1.99 ringgit so that the rakyat (common people) are not burdened,” he said at the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry’s monthly assembly in Kuala Lumpur.
The pledge comes as the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345932/malaysia-vows-hold-petrol-prices-oil-nears-us100-barrel-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 05:16:08 UTC

‘Two sessions’ 2026
To see every province-level region’s growth target, click on this Quick Digest.
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https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3345931/two-sessions-2026?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 04:37:09 UTC

Cathay fares surge, CUHK professor suspended in Australia: 5 weekend reads you missed
We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. As Iran war closes Middle East skies, how high can Cathay Pacific fares fly?
2. Rising star chip scientist Jiang Jianfeng leaves MIT for Peking University
3. Takeaways from Foreign Minister Wang Yi at China’s ‘two sessions’
4. Singapore real estate giants feel the heat amid China’s property...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345917/cathay-fares-surge-cuhk-professor-suspended-australia-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-09 04:29:09 UTC

China’s award-winning mathematician Wan Daqing leaves California for Chongqing
For mathematical genius Wan Daqing, life is no longer a competition between China and the United States. Instead, he has encountered the rivalry of universities from different provinces seeking to appoint him.
Wan, winner of China’s highest mathematics prize, retired from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) in July and returned to China to take up his new role in December, he confirmed in an email to the South China Morning Post.
The International Congress of Chinese Mathematicians...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345925/chinas-award-winning-mathematician-wan-daqing-leaves-california-chongqing?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 13:36:19 UTC

Hongkonger forks out HK$11,000 to flee Dubai after 8 failed attempts
Hongkonger Shirley Sung finally returned home on Sunday after being stranded in Dubai for a week and making eight failed attempts to secure a flight, ultimately paying HK$11,000 (US$1,406) to escape the Middle East conflict via Kuala Lumpur.
The 30-year-old solo traveller, who had flown to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for a wedding, found herself in a tense situation as she witnessed missile interceptions and sought shelter in a hotel car park during Tehran’s retaliatory attacks amid US-Israel...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3345899/hongkonger-forks-out-hk11000-flee-dubai-after-8-failed-attempts?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 07:30:51 UTC

Demand for change in Turkey cannot be stopped, jailed Istanbul mayor says
Political efforts to cripple Turkey’s main opposition and lock up its presidential candidate will never stifle the people’s frustration with the government and their growing demand for change, Istanbul’s jailed mayor has said in an interview.
“An irreversible process for a change in power has begun in Turkey and it won’t stop until it is complete. I cannot stop it … nor can the ruling party nor the judiciary,” Ekrem Imamoglu said in a written response to Agence France-Presse questions conveyed...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345864/demand-change-turkey-cannot-be-stopped-jailed-istanbul-mayor-says?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 06:30:12 UTC

Sri Lanka hospital discharges 22 Iranian sailors rescued after warship sinking
Sri Lanka discharged from hospital 22 Iranian sailors who were plucked from life rafts after their warship was sunk by a US submarine, officials said on Sunday.
The sailors were treated at Karapitiya Hospital in the southern port city of Galle since Wednesday after the IRIS Dena was torpedoed just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
“Another 10 are still undergoing treatment,” said a medical officer at the hospital.
He said the bodies of 84 Iranians retrieved from the Indian Ocean were also...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345856/sri-lanka-hospital-discharges-22-iranian-sailors-rescued-after-warship-sinking?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 06:30:08 UTC

Quantum tech breakthrough: China’s double-photon device breaks efficiency ceiling
Chinese scientists have cracked a long-standing puzzle in quantum optics, creating a tiny device that spits out pairs of light particles on demand with unprecedented purity and efficiency that could upend the quantum race.
Single-photon devices are maturing rapidly, but the field is now pursuing efficient two-photon sources that can pave the way for sharper medical imaging, unbreakable encryption and next-generation sensors. In precision measurement, for instance, using two photons can double...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3345508/quantum-tech-breakthrough-chinas-double-photon-device-breaks-efficiency-ceiling?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 06:15:04 UTC

US embassy in Norway’s Oslo hit by explosion but no injuries, police say
The US embassy in Oslo was hit by an explosion in the early hours of Sunday but no one was injured, police in the Norwegian capital said, adding the cause was not immediately known.
The blast occurred around 1am local time and caused only “minor material damage” to one of the building’s entrances, Oslo police said in a statement.
Investigators were examining the scene, while dogs, drones, and helicopters were involved in the search “for one or more potential perpetrators”, it said.
“Police view...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345858/us-embassy-norways-oslo-hit-explosion-no-injuries-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 06:14:25 UTC

Hong Kong considers raising MPF contributions after 13-year freeze on thresholds
Hong Kong’s workers and employers may have to pay more into the Mandatory Provident Fund, as the pension regulator considers calls to raise the contribution threshold, which has remained unchanged for 13 years.
Ayesha Macpherson Lau, chairwoman of the Mandatory Provident Fund Authority (MPFA), said in her blog on Sunday that the body had consulted various stakeholder groups since February on adjusting the minimum and maximum income levels used to determine contributions.
She hinted at a possible...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345860/hong-kong-may-raise-mpf-contributions-after-13-year-freeze-thresholds?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 06:00:13 UTC

China Qing era saw rise in female authors, poets, despite broad restrictions on women in arts
From the 18th century onwards, female authors gained unprecedented prominence, from Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters in the West to the rise of significant women writers in Qing-era China (1644–1912).
The increasing prominence of female Chinese authors was driven by Dream of the Red Chamber, an 18th-century masterpiece by Cao Xueqin, widely considered the pinnacle of Chinese fiction and one of the four great classical novels of Chinese history. Cao’s book was so important that a cottage...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/gender-diversity/article/3345850/china-qing-era-saw-rise-female-authors-poets-despite-broad-restrictions-women-arts?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 06:00:10 UTC

Why Vietnam’s landmark AI law is first major regulatory test for Southeast Asia
Vietnam’s new law regulating artificial intelligence could become Southeast Asia’s first real test of whether governments in the region are ready to move from voluntary guidelines to binding regulation, a shift analysts say could reshape how companies deploy AI across the region.
The legislation, which took effect on Sunday, introduces a risk-tiered model where AI providers – both local organisations and foreign entities with a presence in the country – must classify their systems as low, medium...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345650/why-vietnams-landmark-ai-law-first-major-regulatory-test-southeast-asia?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 05:15:07 UTC

Boom times for India’s economy but opportunities remain uneven
For years India’s economy was driven by its vast services sector that saw millions of people working away in low-cost back offices providing consultancy for predominantly Western companies.
But over the past decade they have given way to centres that allow firms to tap top-tier talent and technology, where white-collar staff perform tasks ranging from IT and data analytics to innovation and design.
Today, these centres are the shiniest parts of India’s red-hot economy but not everyone has been...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3345855/boom-times-indias-economy-opportunities-remain-uneven?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 04:15:56 UTC

US judge voids actions by Voice of America acting CEO Kari Lake, including mass lay-offs
A federal judge ruled ⁠on Saturday that Kari Lake’s ⁠leadership of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) ⁠for much of last year violated federal law, invalidating a sweeping series of actions she took to cut staff and end many operations at its Voice of America (VOA) unit.
In another blow to the Donald Trump administration’s attempts to diminish various government agencies, US District Judge Royce Lamberth granted ‌a summary judgment in favour of plaintiffs – including VOA journalists and a...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345851/us-judge-voids-actions-voice-america-acting-ceo-kari-lake-including-mass-lay-offs?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 04:11:10 UTC

Hong Kong police seek domestic helper accused of HK$100,000 theft from employer
Hong Kong police are searching for a domestic helper accused of stealing jewellery and cash worth more than HK$100,000 (US$12,780) from her elderly employer.
The force said a 74-year-old woman, surnamed Lam, reported on Saturday night that the valuables had been taken from her flat in Hong Ching House, Kai Ching Estate, Ngau Tau Kok.
An initial investigation found that the missing items included HK$57,000 in cash and jewellery – such as necklaces and bracelets – worth about HK$59,000.
Police...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345849/hong-kong-police-seek-domestic-helper-accused-hk100000-theft-employer?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 03:30:10 UTC

From oil to saffron: how US-Iran conflict is rattling Chinese investors
The supply of oil and other essential commodities may be grabbing the headlines as the US-Iran conflict escalates, but the ripple effects are being felt far beyond energy markets – all the way to the global supply of the saffron used in footbath packs and heat patches.
Chinese retail investors have been peppering listed companies with questions about how disruptions tied to the conflict could affect everything from fertiliser imports to the pharmaceutical products containing the prized...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345805/oil-saffron-how-us-iran-conflict-rattling-chinese-investors?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 03:00:11 UTC

80 years on, gender gap persists in Japanese politics
Gender equality in politics remains far from achieved across Japan’s 47 prefectures, research by a group of experts has shown as it released local index scores on International Women’s Day.
While nearly 80 years have passed since women in Japan first exercised their right to vote, the politics index fell in eight prefectures, including Kanagawa near Tokyo, from the 2024 figures, while many other prefectures also saw little change.
With a score of 1 representing full equality, Tokyo scored 0.386,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3345847/80-years-gender-gap-persists-japanese-politics?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 02:45:07 UTC

Lebanon says at least 4 killed in Israeli strike on Beirut hotel
Lebanon’s health ministry on Sunday said an Israeli strike on a hotel in central Beirut killed at least four people, with Israel saying it had targeted commanders from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on Monday, when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during US-Israeli strikes.
Israel, which has kept up strikes targeting Hezbollah despite a 2024 ceasefire, launched...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345846/lebanon-says-least-4-killed-israeli-strike-beirut-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 02:00:09 UTC

Iran war oil shock accelerates Southeast Asia’s EV revolution
A man in a Mercedes drives up to a Bangkok forecourt, cash in hand, ready to buy an electric vehicle he hadn’t planned on owning.
Southeast Asia’s EV revolution has found a new accelerant.
“He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to fill up his car any more,” said Samart Prakotkancharna, managing director of Ratchapruek P Car Centre in Thailand’s capital, describing the scene that played out on his forecourt.
Cash buyers had been streaming in all week, spooked by rising diesel prices and hunting for...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345751/iran-war-oil-shock-accelerates-southeast-asias-ev-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 01:45:41 UTC

Foreign Minister Wang Yi sets forth China’s foreign policy direction amid ‘two sessions’
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is facing the media this morning to outline Beijing’s foreign policy direction in one of the most-watched events during the annual “two sessions”.
The press conference is held as China carefully manages its...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345844/foreign-minister-wang-yi-sets-forth-chinas-foreign-policy-direction-amid-two-sessions?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 01:45:35 UTC

Kuwait airport, Saudi Arabia targeted as Iran vows to continue Gulf strikes
Gulf nations reported on Sunday missiles and drone attacks, while Iran vowed to press on with strikes against neighbouring countries as the regional war entered its second week.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait all reported new attacks, after loud explosions were heard in Dubai and Bahrain’s Manama a day earlier, and Kuwait’s national oil company announced a “precautionary” cut to production.
Qatar’s defence ministry said on Sunday that the country was targeted a day earlier by 10 ballistic...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345845/kuwait-airport-saudi-arabia-targeted-iran-vows-continue-gulf-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 01:30:08 UTC

Why Hong Kong must make mental health an immediate economic priority
Hong Kong’s new budget is positioned to foster high-quality, inclusive growth through innovation and finance. Ahead of projections, a surplus of HK$2.9 billion (US$370.8 million) is now expected, largely due to the stronger-than-expected stock market and tax receipts.
Reflecting a sound fiscal approach and forward thinking, the 2026-27 budget will maintain an operating surplus and allocate about 60 per cent of recurrent spending to vital sectors such as health, social welfare and education. The...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345183/why-hong-kong-must-make-mental-health-immediate-economic-priority?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 01:22:05 UTC

Wife of China director Zhang Yimou, who is 31 years his junior, remains largely unknown to public
Chinese film director Zhang Yimou may be a household name who is celebrated as the country’s “national master” but his wife Chen Ting is little known and dedicates herself to their family.
The woman behind China’s No 1 director recently attracted attention for appearing at the Beijing premiere of Zhang’s latest movie Scare Out in mid-February.
Pictures of Chen, 44, dressed casually, went viral on mainland social media as internet users were impressed by her slim physique and relatively young...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3345338/wife-china-director-zhang-yimou-who-31-years-his-junior-remains-largely-unknown-public?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 00:30:11 UTC

‘Keep the change’ no more: Hong Kong taxi drivers prepare for shift to e-payments
Hong Kong cabbies are counting down to the end of the “keep the change” tradition as the industry prepares for a mandatory shift from cash-only payments to electronic settlements.
In the weeks leading up to April 1, taxi drivers are racing to install e-payment tools, while service providers say 90 per cent of the cabbies have already adopted such solutions.
Chau Kwok-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Taxi and Public Light Bus Association, said the transition to digital payments meant cabbies...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3345811/keep-change-no-more-hong-kong-taxi-drivers-prepare-shift-e-payments?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 00:30:08 UTC

China’s shoppers head for suburban outlets, a bright spot in retail property
For Steven Zhou, a 40-year-old Beijing office worker, suburban outlet stores offer a better shopping experience than urban malls, allowing him to escape the city, park his car without frustration and, most importantly, find good deals.
“Outlets offer a wide selection of brands, with attractive discounts, especially on sportswear,” Zhou said.
Across the mainland, outlets are expanding while traditional and luxury malls face high vacancy rates. Offering well-known brands at discounted prices,...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345736/chinas-shoppers-head-suburban-outlets-bright-spot-retail-property?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-08 00:00:09 UTC

Singapore’s workers brace for AI disruption: ‘it’s inevitable’
When Joshua Tan turned up to Chinese New Year dinner last month, he hadn’t expected to spend the evening defending his career.
He was 27 and freshly employed as a junior software engineer in Singapore. The questions from relatives were pointed: is your job safe? Can’t the computer just do it?
It was an awkward conversation, equal parts interrogation and familial concern. But Tan knew the anxiety behind the questions was real.
Not so long ago, he and his classmates had been so sought-after by...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345747/singapores-workers-brace-ai-disruption-its-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 23:03:03 UTC

Trump says he’s told Kurds not to join Iran fight: ‘war is complicated enough’
US President Donald Trump said he has told Kurdish forces not to enter the Iran war as the US and Israel continue launching strikes against Tehran.
“The war is complicated enough without having – getting the Kurds involved,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday on his way back to Florida after attending a military service for six fallen US soldiers.
“We’re very friendly with the Kurds, as you know, but we don’t want to make the war any more complex than it already is. I have...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345843/trump-says-hes-told-kurds-not-join-iran-fight-war-complicated-enough?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 18:45:24 UTC

Timothee Chalamet faces the music for saying ‘no one cares’ about opera and ballet
Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet is the front runner to take home the golden statuette for Marty Supreme – but he definitely has not won fans in the ballet and opera worlds.
In a town hall discussion late last month with Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey hosted by CNN and Variety, the 30-year-old Chalamet was discussing the future of movie theatres and whether the advent of streaming will spell doom for cinemas.
“If people want to see it – like Barbie, like Oppenheimer – they’re going to go see it...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345840/timothee-chalamet-faces-music-saying-no-one-cares-about-opera-and-ballet?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 15:48:02 UTC

Iran war: what we know about Ali Khamenei’s killing one week on
With further negotiations pencilled in with the US and perhaps assuming that any assassination attempt would take place at night, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei was at his complex in Tehran last Saturday morning.
It would be his last.
An air strike obliterated the compound in Tehran where a gathering of key decision-makers was taking place, killing Khamenei, his wife and other top officials.
As the US and Israel have pounded Iran with thousands of attacks over the last week, some details...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345838/iran-war-what-we-know-about-ali-khameneis-killing-one-week?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 13:16:47 UTC

LIV Golf Hong Kong starts to tick boxes, with bumper crowd set for 3-way fight on last day
A large crowd spent much of Saturday following Jon Rahm around Fanling as he made his way up the leaderboard at LIV Golf Hong Kong – further evidence, if any were needed, that the tournament is quickly establishing itself as an important part of the city’s social and sporting calendar.
And while attendance figures will not be announced until the tournament has finished, officials said a large number had made the trip from mainland China and overseas, with many paying thousands of dollars for...
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https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3345829/liv-golf-hong-kong-starts-tick-boxes-bumper-crowd-set-3-way-fight-last-day?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 09:42:23 UTC

‘46,800 jobs’: Xinjiang official says textile industry is growing despite US sanctions
A senior official in Xinjiang said the region’s textile industry expanded last year despite the trade restrictions imposed by US-led sanctions, creating tens of thousands of jobs, while pledging stronger legal support for affected companies to defend their rights and interests.
Wang Kuiran, secretary general of the far western Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region government, described the region as resilient as he declared yarn output rose more than 20 per cent in 2025. According to Wang, fabric...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345813/46800-jobs-xinjiang-official-says-textile-industry-growing-despite-us-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 08:30:08 UTC

The cause of the next global market crash is hiding in plain sight
If financial markets can survive the United States’ war on Iran and Russia’s war against Ukraine, does this mean that financial crashes have become a thing of the past? Or have markets just not grasped the true nature of the current threats to the financial system?
The latter is almost certainly the case, as former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein suggested when he said in a recent Financial Times interview that people had “got more complacent” about financial risks since the 2008 crisis.
It is...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345580/cause-next-global-market-crash-hiding-plain-sight?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 07:42:16 UTC

Trump’s ‘feeling’-driven Iran war cops criticism for ‘arrogant’ messaging
President Donald Trump has plunged the United States into its most significant conflict in decades over a “feeling”. It is not his political opponents saying this, but the White House itself.
Throughout the first week of the war with Iran, the US president has prioritised impulse and emotion over explanations and reasoning.
“I hope you’re impressed,” Trump, a former reality TV host, told an ABC News reporter on Thursday. “How do you like the performance?”
Official government accounts are posting...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345801/trumps-feeling-driven-iran-war-cops-criticism-arrogant-messaging?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 07:36:00 UTC

ZTE’s computing revenue jumps 150% amid AI boom, but profits fall 33%
China’s telecom and computing equipment maker ZTE on Friday reported revenue of 134 billion yuan (US$19 billion) in 2025, up 10.4 per cent, with its computing business surging 150 per cent year on year to account for 24.6 per cent of total sales amid the computing boom.
However, net profit attributable to shareholders fell 33.3 per cent to 5.62 billion yuan, while net profit excluding non-recurring items dropped 45.5 per cent to 3.37 billion yuan, according to a post-trading earnings filing....
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345799/ztes-computing-revenue-jumps-150-amid-ai-boom-profits-fall-33?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 06:40:52 UTC

CUHK professor suspended for posing as schoolboy to take photos of pupils in Australia
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has suspended an academic who reportedly pleaded guilty to posing as a schoolboy to photograph pupils at an elite boys’ school in Australia.
Australian media reported that Johnny Li Siu-hang, a professor at CUHK’s business school, was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly dressing in the uniform of the Sydney institution to mingle with pupils and take photos of them.
A CUHK spokeswoman said on Friday evening that the university was aware of the incident...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345795/cuhk-professor-suspended-posing-schoolboy-take-photos-pupils-australia?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 05:21:53 UTC

Man robbed of HK$6 million in crypto and silver in Hong Kong, probe under way
Hong Kong police are investigating an attack and robbery in which a man lost about HK$6 million (US$767,070) in cryptocurrency and silver.
The force said it received a report at 3.52am on Saturday that a 25-year-old mainland Chinese man was attacked by three men and a woman at a hotel near Man Lok Street in Hung Hom and robbed of cryptocurrency worth HK$5 million from his account.
The suspects later took the victim to another unit in an industrial building, where they seized silver items worth...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345794/man-robbed-hk6-million-crypto-and-silver-hong-kong-probe-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 03:35:12 UTC

Americans recall desperate, self-organised escapes from Middle East: ‘you’re on your own’
Alyssa Ramos’ evacuation from Kuwait took 48 hours and carried her across four continents. The US government did not help with any part of it, the travel blogger said.
“They keep going on the news and saying they’re doing everything they can to get Americans out,” Ramos said after landing in Miami on Thursday. “I know for a fact they’re not.”
She said she repeatedly messaged the US embassy in Kuwait before being directed to the consular section, which told her it could not help her leave the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345789/americans-recall-desperate-self-organised-escapes-middle-east-youre-your-own?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 02:37:20 UTC

‘Deliver more practical outcomes,’ Chinese vice-premier tells Hong Kong Legco
Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang has urged Hong Kong’s legislature to deliver more “practical outcomes” that align with the city’s actual conditions and meet Beijing’s expectations under the executive-led governance system.
Emphasising the importance of the executive-led system for the second day in a row, the state leader reiterated on Saturday that its implementation was not solely the responsibility of the city leader or the government, as he outlined his expectations for the Legislative...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3345787/deliver-more-practical-outcomes-chinese-vice-premier-tells-hong-kong-legco?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 02:32:57 UTC

‘Two sessions’ 2026: China’s push for financial superpower, corruption curbs
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/series/3345786/two-sessions-2026-chinas-push-financial-superpower-corruption-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-07 02:05:07 UTC

US says Russian intelligence for Iran ‘not making any difference’ in war
Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with US intelligence on the matter.
The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that US intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information as the US and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345785/us-says-russian-intelligence-iran-not-making-any-difference-war?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 21:30:08 UTC

Why Melania Trump’s UN speech is an affront to decency
I am a sucker for all kinds of humour, including tasteless jokes. But I draw the line at sick jokes being reported as serious news. As far as those jokes go, the Monday appearance of US first lady Melania Trump as chair of a United Nations Security Council meeting takes the cake.
The topic of her speech? Children, technology and education in conflict. She declared that the US “stands with all of the children throughout the world”. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up.
The cynicism and...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3345518/why-melania-trumps-un-speech-affront-decency?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 21:09:39 UTC

US sheds 92,000 jobs in warning sign for Trump’s economy
The US unexpectedly lost jobs in February while unemployment edged up, government data showed Friday, piling pressure on President Donald Trump’s economic agenda as key midterm elections approach.
The world’s biggest economy shed 92,000 jobs last month, in a sharp reversal from the job growth of 126,000 in January, the Labour Department said.
The unemployment rate, meanwhile, crept up to 4.4 per cent from 4.3 per cent.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett insisted Friday that the US...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345782/us-sheds-92000-jobs-warning-sign-trumps-economy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 11:45:48 UTC

Sacking of teacher for anti-police remarks reasonable, appeal court rules
The Hong Kong government has won an appeal against a court ruling that found a veteran teacher’s dismissal for anti-police remarks was unlawful.
The Court of Appeal on Friday ruled that the secretary for the civil service was entitled to sack 27-year veteran Toffee Tam Yuk-fun and strip her of all retirement benefits for serious misconduct during the 2019 anti-government protests.
Tam, who taught at the Jockey Club Government Secondary School in Kowloon Tong, previously won a judicial review...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345753/sacking-teacher-anti-police-remarks-reasonable-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 10:00:08 UTC

Chinese man adopted by Canadian family reunites with birth father after being abandoned
A Chinese man who got lost at a railway station at the age of four and was adopted by a Canadian couple who abandoned him has been reunited with his biological father.
Zhang Yunpeng, 28, hugged his father Zhang Jiucheng and both of them burst into tears at the reunion event in Huinan county, Jilin province, northeastern China, on March 2.
“After more than 20 years, I saw you finally,” Zhang senior said, Jimu News reported.
The son replied with his rusty Chinese: “Dad, I love you.”
Zhang junior...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3345265/chinese-man-adopted-canadian-family-reunites-birth-father-after-being-abandoned?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 05:43:24 UTC

Philippines battles US-Iran war fuel crisis with air con limits, flexible work plan
The Philippines is looking at ways to save on energy as tensions in the Middle East push global fuel costs higher, with the government suggesting people use their air conditioners less and shy away from non-essential travel.
The Southeast Asian nation imports nearly all of its oil requirements and the war in Iran could spur inflation that already hit a 13-month high in February.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration this week ordered government offices to set their air conditioners to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345681/philippines-battles-us-iran-war-fuel-crisis-air-con-limits-flexible-work-plan?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 05:37:06 UTC

South Korea uneasy as US weighs moving air defences to Middle East
Reports that Washington could redirect some US military assets from South Korea to the Middle East have stirred unease in Seoul, reviving concerns that a crisis elsewhere could thin deterrence on the Korean peninsula.
Analysts said a redeployment of missile-defence systems could leave South Korea feeling vulnerable to North Korean “adventurism” and signal Washington’s “shifting priorities and lack of seriousness” towards its Indo-Pacific allies.
Citing a South Korean government official, the...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345678/south-korea-uneasy-us-weighs-moving-air-defences-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 05:00:08 UTC

China pivots to ‘investing in people’ strategy as growth engine switches gears
China will allocate more of its fiscal spending this year towards human capital and social safety nets, as Beijing seeks to boost domestic demand and unlock new growth through “investing in people”.
“Efforts must be sustained to optimise the expenditure structure, with greater emphasis on supporting the boosting of consumption, investing in people, and safeguarding people’s livelihoods,” Premier Li Qiang said in his annual work report, delivered during the opening session of the National...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3345615/china-pivots-investing-people-strategy-growth-engine-switches-gears?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 04:31:49 UTC

London risks becoming a ‘childless city’ as families flee record costs
London’s child population is collapsing faster than anywhere in Britain as unaffordable housing and childcare costs drive young families away, a report by the London Assembly found.
In the decade through 2023 the number of residents under ten years of age fell by 99,100 as families moved out and fertility rates crashed - even while the capital’s overall population increased by 506,000.
Falling pupil numbers have prompted 100 of London’s 2,500 schools to close since 2018; mostly in inner London....
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345665/london-risks-becoming-childless-city-families-flee-record-costs?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 04:12:07 UTC

China’s US$24 billion seaport push; war on Iran as ‘wake-up call’: SCMP’s 7 highlights
We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. ‘We couldn’t reach them’: Chinese firms’ Iran business in limbo after strikes
Rising tensions in the Middle East following attacks on Iran are having an impact on the trade corridors and investment plans of Chinese exporters and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345639/chinas-us24-billion-seaport-push-war-iran-wake-call-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 03:43:20 UTC

US government releases Epstein files that include uncorroborated claim about Trump
The US Justice Department on Thursday released additional Jeffrey Epstein files involving uncorroborated accusations made by a woman against US President Donald Trump that the department said had been mistakenly withheld during an earlier review.
The department said last week that it was working to determine if any records were improperly withheld after several news organisations reported that the massive tranche of records that had been made public did not include some files documenting a...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345657/us-government-releases-epstein-files-include-uncorroborated-claim-about-trump?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 02:21:09 UTC

Chinese vice-premier stresses shared duty in Hong Kong’s executive-led governance
Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang has acknowledged it is no “easy task” to truly implement Hong Kong’s executive-led governance system, stressing that it must be a “shared responsibility” of the legislative and judicial branches and society as a whole.
But Ding, the head of the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, said an executive-led governance system was “important and essential” for the city to align with China’s 15th five-year plan and advance its integration with the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3345644/chinese-vice-premier-stresses-shared-duty-hong-kongs-executive-led-governance?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 02:12:53 UTC

China’s ‘two sessions’: adviser urges end to forced marriages of mentally ill rural women
A top Chinese political adviser has sounded the alarm on forced marriages of women with mental disabilities in rural areas, calling for a prevention mechanism and a nationwide investigation campaign.
Jiang Shengnan, a writer and member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top political advisory body, warned that tackling the issue presented multiple challenges.
There was a lack of support for such women when it came to marriage-related decision-making, Jiang...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3345470/chinas-two-sessions-adviser-urges-end-forced-marriages-mentally-ill-rural-women?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-06 01:25:15 UTC

Iran damage report: who and what has been targeted in US-Israel strikes?
The US and Israel are striking a much wider array of targets in Iran than they did during 12 days of war last summer, when their focus was on the country’s nuclear enrichment sites. Now, the aim appears to be destroying Iran’s military and weakening the grip of its theocratic rulers, experts say.
US Central Command alone says it has hit more than 2,000 targets in less than a week, a far heavier barrage than any American bombing campaign in the Middle East in more than a decade, according to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345640/iran-damage-report-who-and-what-has-been-targeted-us-israel-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-05 23:48:26 UTC

Trump sued in bid to undo approval of TikTok’s US sale
Donald Trump and his attorney general were sued on Thursday by retail investors in two social media rivals of TikTok seeking to reverse the US president’s approval of a deal by the company’s Chinese owner ByteDance to form a majority American-owned joint venture.
The lawsuit, the ‌first legal challenge to the deal, argues that Trump’s approval last year violated requirements set out in a 2024 divestiture law. Two California residents who hold shares in Alphabet and Meta Platforms sued, backed by...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345636/trump-sued-bid-undo-approval-tiktoks-us-sale?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-05 06:07:44 UTC

Is looming Xi-Trump summit behind the PLA’s break in air sorties near Taiwan?
Over six consecutive days since Friday, for the first time in at least three years, Beijing dispatched no warplanes near Taiwan, a pause which analysts say reflects deliberate caution ahead of this month’s Xi–Trump summit.
The absence of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft near the self-ruled island from Friday through to Wednesday is the longest such pause in the past three years, according to Taiwanese defence ministry data compiled by the South China Morning Post.
The number of PLA naval...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3345527/looming-xi-trump-summit-behind-plas-break-air-sorties-near-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-05 05:23:52 UTC

Beijing tasks Hong Kong with fast-tracking Northern Metropolis, boosting integration
Hong Kong should speed up the construction of the Northern Metropolis megaproject near the border with the mainland and the development of a commodity trading ecosystem, according to the draft outline of China’s 15th five-year plan.
Other priorities included stronger integration with national development on the economic, technological and social fronts, especially deepening cross-border connections of financial markets.
The draft, which sets China’s economic and social development targets for...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3345521/beijing-tasks-hong-kong-fast-tracking-northern-metropolis-boosting-integration?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-05 05:15:23 UTC

Asian airlines emerge on top as travellers fight for flights out of Middle East
Asian carriers like Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines (SIA) are among the best positioned airlines to weather the war in the Middle East as travellers scramble for flights – and pay huge premiums – to escape the conflict.
Asian airlines have emerged as one of the go-to choices for people leaving the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Extensive airspace closures mean carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways have essentially ground to a halt, creating opportunities for...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345520/asian-airlines-emerge-top-travellers-fight-flights-out-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-05 04:48:01 UTC

Texan James Talarico: is this the face of Democrats’ 2026 US midterm hopes?
James Talarico barely mentioned Donald Trump when he finally got to give his victory speech on Wednesday night as Democrats’ nominee for US Senate in Texas.
But the 36-year-old state lawmaker is now a frontman for the left’s opposition to Trump, not just in his own state but around the country. With his victory over US congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, the state lawmaker from Austin will test whether a smiling message of unity and change is enough to answer voters’ frustrations amid discord at...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345517/texan-james-talarico-face-democrats-2026-us-midterm-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-05 04:21:43 UTC

DR Congo says least 200 dead in coltan mine collapse, but rebels dispute toll
A mine collapse on Tuesday at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo left at least 200 dead, according to Congolese authorities, a number disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine.
The collapse took place Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the M23 rebels, according to a press release from the Ministry of Mines on Wednesday.
Fanny Kaj, a senior official in the M23 rebel group, which controls the mines, disputed the figure and said that the collapse was caused by...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345511/dr-congo-says-least-200-dead-coltan-mine-collapse-rebels-dispute-toll?utm_source=rss_feed