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2026-08-04 13:00:07 GMT

Is tech the main battleground as EU and US drift apart? One Chinese prediction says so
Clashes between the United States and European Union are becoming the “new normal” with competition over tech regulations at the “core”, according to an analysis published by a leading Chinese think tank.
Guo Mingxu, head of the European Economy Programme at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, cited a recent row about hefty fines imposed on US tech giants for breaching European law as an example of how the relationship was shifting from being a collaborative partnership...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3362926/tech-main-battleground-eu-and-us-drift-apart-one-chinese-prediction-says-so?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-25 10:00:13 GMT

What a helicopter’s flight in the Taiwan Strait says about Beijing’s war plans
A People’s Liberation Army helicopter’s unprecedented flight in the Taiwan Strait has raised concerns in Taipei that Beijing is rehearsing a new kind of operation for a potential cross-strait conflict.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said it detected four PLA aircraft, including a helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), operating around the island on July 20 and the following morning.
The helicopter and drone crossed the median line and remained east of it for nearly 9.5 hours in the “R9”...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3361835/what-helicopters-flight-taiwan-strait-says-about-beijings-war-plans?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-24 04:30:06 GMT

South Korean unions use new labour rules to push envelope on bonus demands
Barely four months into its implementation, South Korea’s new labour-friendly law is coming under growing scrutiny as workers’ demands for bonuses tied to a fixed percentage of corporate profits spread across the country.
If left unchecked, critics warn, the revised Trade Union and Labour Relations Adjustment Act – commonly known as the Yellow Envelope Act – could fuel labour disputes, create uncertainty for businesses and threaten an economy that is only beginning to recover.
At the heart of...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3361662/south-korean-unions-use-new-labour-rules-push-envelope-bonus-demands?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-24 04:15:05 GMT

Fresh US tariffs on 60 countries; first China duo win Fields Medal: 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. US slaps fresh tariffs on China, 50-plus countries in latest wave
The United States imposed late on Thursday a fresh wave of tariffs against 60 countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, India and European Union member states,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3361663/fresh-us-tariffs-60-countries-first-china-duo-win-fields-medal-scmps-7-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-24 04:00:08 GMT

Vatican and Beijing agree on new China bishop as ordination fills 20-year vacancy
Joseph Chang Yanfeng was ordained bishop of Chifeng in China’s northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Wednesday, highlighting the uneasy diplomatic engagement between Beijing and the Vatican on the sensitive issue of Catholic appointments.
According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV approved Chang’s appointment on June 15, under the terms of the 2018 provisional agreement between the Holy See and Beijing.
The ordination fills a vacancy for the Catholic diocese of Chifeng that had lasted nearly...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361584/vatican-and-beijing-agree-new-china-bishop-ordination-fills-20-year-vacancy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-20 10:43:38 GMT

Mentally disabled Hong Kong waiter gets 28 months for inciting subversion
A Hong Kong court has sentenced a man with an intellectual disability to two years and four months in prison for inciting subversion, promoting a pro-Taiwan party and disseminating anti-Communist Party messages, with the judge noting his condition had affected his moral judgment.
District Court Judge Stanley Chan Kwong-chi on Monday handed the sentence to Chan Ho-hin, a 23-year-old waiter, who had earlier pleaded guilty to publishing 118 subversive messages on his social media accounts between...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3361227/mentally-disabled-hong-kong-waiter-gets-28-months-inciting-subversion?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-15 04:00:11 GMT

Will AI kill English classes? Chinese university to drop them as tech booms
A Chinese research university plans to phase out traditional English classes, citing the ability of artificial intelligence (AI) translators to bridge language barriers in real time.
In a video posted to the university’s social media account on July 2, Zhao Wei, the provost of Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology (SUAT), announced that the institution would do away with standard English courses in favour of classes that emphasised cross-cultural skills.
These new courses are designed to...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3360516/will-ai-kill-english-classes-chinese-university-drop-them-tech-booms?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-07-08 03:11:42 GMT

Rainy holidays, AC exports: Thailand eyes red-hot business from Europe heatwave
As soaring temperatures fuel demand for cooling in Europe, Thailand is pitching itself as a source of relief, promoting rainy-season holidays while exporting more air conditioners.
With tourism and outbound shipments two of the Southeast Asian economy’s biggest drivers, Europe’s heatwaves are creating opportunities on both fronts.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a campaign encouraging European travellers to swap scorching summer temperatures for the nation’s milder rainy season,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3359793/rainy-holidays-ac-exports-thailand-eyes-red-hot-business-europe-heatwave?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-28 16:27:33 GMT

5 members of Israel’s Arab minority killed in suspected crime spree
Israel was shaken on Sunday by an unusual series of suspected criminal acts of violence that left five members of Israel’s Arab minority dead in a single day.
Two people died in explosions involving car bombs in the Tel Aviv district of Jaffa and in the suburb of Holon. Three others were killed in two separate killings in Israel’s Arab communities.
All four incidents are linked to organised or criminal violence, according to the police’s findings so far.
Criminal violence has escalated among...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3358673/5-members-israels-arab-minority-killed-suspected-crime-spree?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-17 10:55:37 GMT

Sri Lanka arrests son of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa for corruption
The son of Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was arrested on Wednesday on corruption charges, the anti-bribery commission said, the latest case to target the once all-powerful political clan.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa, 38, is accused of tapping state funds for overseas training during his career as a naval officer.
The Bribery Commission said he was being investigated for having risen through the ranks without the necessary qualifications and going to Britain for government-funded officer...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3357448/sri-lanka-arrests-son-ex-president-mahinda-rajapaksa-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-10 04:11:56 GMT

The US$4.25 trillion question: Becerra and Hilton will face off for California governor
The race for California governor in November will be a battle between a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies and a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course in America’s most populous state.
Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, has won enough votes to advance to the general election, Associated Press determined on Tuesday. He will face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3356578/us425-trillion-question-becerra-and-hilton-will-face-california-governor?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-06 08:30:05 GMT

The problem with Japan’s bid to strengthen energy security, supply chains
What is in effect Japan’s version of the Belt and Road Initiative is being rolled out at an accelerating pace. But unlike China’s global infrastructure initiative, which mainly takes the form of highways, railways and sea lanes, Japan’s project is all about energy networks and supply chains.
It poses a further challenge to America’s waning economic and strategic influence in Asia, the world’s most populous, resource-rich and potentially powerful region. What is more, it is a cooperative venture...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355995/problem-japans-bid-strengthen-energy-security-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-05 23:38:18 GMT

Putin says no reason to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky, calls his letter ‘rude’
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he currently saw no reason to meet Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president published an open letter proposing they hold face-to-face talks to agree an end to a war now in its fifth year.
In his letter, which was sent to other countries, including the US, Zelensky said most Russians ‌had grown tired of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, high inflation and fuel shortages, and were ready for peace.
He also suggested that continuing the war...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3356180/putin-says-no-reason-meet-ukraines-zelensky-calls-his-letter-rude?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-06-04 08:41:24 GMT

Tibetology is key to China shaping global views on the region, top official says
Chinese academics specialising in Tibet must find more creative ways to shape the global conversation about the region while remaining strictly aligned with the Communist Party’s ideology.
That was the message Li Ganjie, head of the Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, had for researchers who gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the China Tibetology Research Centre on Wednesday.
According to state news agency Xinhua, Li said that the international situation was “volatile” and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3355946/tibetology-key-china-shaping-global-views-region-top-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-29 08:30:05 GMT

How Trump’s war on Iran is jeopardising Asia’s remittance lifeline
There seems to be no end to the harm arising from US President Donald Trump’s madcap war on Iran. Go beyond the direct tragic impact across Iran itself, the collateral damage from Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and its ad hoc assaults on US allies in the region: beyond the burgeoning impact of shortages of oil, gas, hydrogen, helium and sulphur, and the prospect of food shortages arising from the collapse in fertiliser supplies; beyond the hardships of tens of thousands of...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355220/how-trumps-war-iran-jeopardising-asias-remittance-lifeline?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-22 14:51:54 GMT

China AI firms Zhipu, MiniMax to join Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Tech Index
Chinese AI firms MiniMax Group and Knowledge Atlas Technology – better known as Zhipu AI – will join the Hang Seng Tech Index next month.
Their inclusion follows investor criticism that the city’s primary technology gauge has underperformed by missing out on the global artificial intelligence boom.
Concurrently, Shanghai-based courier J&T Global Express, lightweight metal giant Aluminum Corp of China and Beijing-founded global drug firm BeOne Medicines will join the benchmark Hang Seng Index....
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https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354580/china-ai-firms-zhipu-minimax-join-hong-kongs-hang-seng-tech-index?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-07 23:42:36 GMT

Islamic State-linked Australian women charged with keeping slave in Syria
Two Australian women “kept a female slave” after travelling to Syria in 2014 to support Islamic State, police said on Friday after the pair were charged in Melbourne.
The women returned to Australia on Thursday evening for the first time in almost a decade, travelling from a Syrian detention camp where they were stranded after the group’s collapse.
They were immediately arrested after their Qatar Airways flight landed at Melbourne International Airport.
Police accused the women – a mother and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352825/islamic-state-linked-australian-women-charged-keeping-slave-syria?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-07 11:47:52 GMT

India’s military turns to green energy options as Iran war prompts new strategy
India’s military is exploring alternative energy sources amid surging oil and gas prices caused by supply disruption from the Iran war, a trend that analysts say is set to accelerate among Asian countries heavily dependent on energy imports.
According to local media reports, the Indian army plans to get biogas stoves to replace natural gas-fired appliances for cooking. It is also exploring the use of green fuels for army vehicles and administrative work, as well as solar and wind power for...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3352787/indias-military-turns-green-energy-options-iran-war-prompts-new-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-04 02:23:49 GMT

United Airlines Boeing 767 jet hits light pole, truck while landing at Newark
A United Airlines plane hit a light pole and a delivery truck on a New Jersey highway while landing Sunday at Newark Liberty International Airport, officials said.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said the Boeing 767 landed safely after arriving from Venice, Italy, and the agency would investigate the incident.
No injuries were reported on the plane, and the truck driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352305/united-airlines-boeing-767-jet-hits-light-pole-truck-while-landing-newark?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-05-02 22:00:12 GMT

Faith, hope and ancestry: William Lai’s clan village in Beijing’s push for cross-strait ties
As the closest mainland Chinese province to Taiwan, Fujian is a key site for Beijing’s messaging towards the island. In the second of a two-part series, Xinlu Liang looks at how the ancestral home village of William Lai Ching-te has become a focus for efforts to promote closer ties based on kinship and religion.
The village of Xintian in Fujian province is usually a quiet rural backwater but that changed in November when popular Taiwanese YouTuber and bodybuilder Holger Chen Chih-han descended...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3352228/faith-hope-and-ancestry-william-lais-clan-village-beijings-push-cross-strait-ties?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-27 15:23:04 GMT

Plane crash in South Sudan kills 14
A small plane crashed on Monday in South Sudan near the capital Juba, killing all 13 passengers and the pilot, local officials said.
On top of instability, conflict and poverty, South Sudan also lacks reliable transport infrastructure with frequent plane crashes attributed to overloading and bad weather.
The plane was a Cessna that departed Juba International Airport at 9.15am local time and crashed about 20km (12 miles) from the capital with no survivors, the South Sudanese Civil Aviation...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3351612/14-killed-plane-crash-outskirts-south-sudans-capital?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-27 07:30:29 GMT

Malaysia’s Najib drops appeal to serve 1MDB-linked prison sentence under house arrest
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak has dropped his legal bid to serve the remainder of his corruption sentence under house arrest, closing off a closely watched appeal tied to his 2024 royal pardon.
Najib, 72, is serving a six-year jail sentence in Kajang Prison after his original 12-year term for the misappropriation of 42 million ringgit (US$10.6 million) from SRC International was halved by the Pardons Board in 2024.
SRC International was formerly a unit of 1MDB, the state fund at...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351542/malaysias-najib-drops-appeal-serve-1mdb-linked-prison-sentence-under-house-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-26 01:00:25 GMT

Some Hong Kong trees are behaving strangely and botanists want to know why
A citywide study should be launched to examine how global warming is affecting plants in Hong Kong and the knock-on effect on the rest of the ecosystem, botanists have urged after witnessing clear changes in leaf-shedding and flowering patterns.
Some species, such as the red kapok tree and the flame tree, which should shed all leaves during winter, had shown signs of incomplete leaf drop by spring or early flowering in recent years, the experts said, stressing the importance of looking into...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3351437/some-hong-kong-trees-are-behaving-strangely-and-botanists-want-know-why?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-24 21:30:09 GMT

Kuomintang gets the carrots, DPP the stick
Another day, another big humiliation for William Lai Ching-te. The Taiwanese leader effectively had to cancel a visit to eSwatini, the island’s last partner in Africa, for the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s accession to the throne and his 58th birthday.
Taiwan said the visit was “postponed” after the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar cancelled their previously approved overflight permission without warning.
Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3351128/kuomintang-gets-carrots-dpp-stick?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-24 21:20:25 GMT

OpenAI’s Sam Altman apologises to Canada town for not reporting mass shooter
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has apologised to a Canadian town devastated by a February mass shooting, saying he was “deeply sorry” the company did not tell police about the killer’s troubling ChatGPT account.
OpenAI had banned an account linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar in June 2025, eight months before the 18-year-old woman killed eight people at her home and a school in the tiny British Columbia mining town of Tumbler Ridge.
The account was banned over concerns about usage linked to violent...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351391/openais-sam-altman-apologises-canada-town-not-reporting-mass-shooter?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-23 00:48:03 GMT

Iran war latest: Trump has ‘no time frame’ as world waits for peace talks
All eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz as the world waits for a new round of US-Iran peace deal talks to ease the global energy crisis, while the extended ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump remains up in the air.
These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight.
Peace talks?
It remains unclear when the two sides will return to the negotiating table.
Trump on Wednesday said there was “no time frame” for when the war on Iran might come to an end.
During an interview with Fox...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351064/iran-war-latest-trump-has-no-time-frame-world-waits-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-23 00:30:07 GMT

Travel scheme could allow Hong Kong, Macau yachts to sail to 6 Greater Bay Area ports
A long-awaited cross-border solo travel scheme will allow yachts from Macau and Hong Kong to easily sail to about six designated ports in the western waters off the Greater Bay Area, with the policy to be finalised as early as this summer, the South China Morning Post has learned.
A Guangdong provincial government document, seen by the SCMP, also showed several routes that were recommended for leisure, such as the waters off Castle Peak Bay, the Pearl River Delta and Fan Lau Kok of the Lantau...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3351051/travel-scheme-could-allow-hong-kong-macau-yachts-sail-6-greater-bay-area-ports?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-21 21:30:08 GMT

US-China AI race must strike a balance between security and openness
The United States House Select Committee on China recently released a report on artificial intelligence. Titled “Buy What It Can, Steal What It Must: China’s Campaign to Acquire Frontier AI Capabilities”, it captures a hardening view in Washington that Beijing’s artificial intelligence rise is closely tied to both market access and security concerns.
Whether fully substantiated or not, such beliefs are increasingly shaping the policy lens through which technology competition between the two...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350871/us-china-ai-race-must-strike-balance-between-security-and-openness?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-21 20:42:21 GMT

Canadian who was detained by China warns against Carney’s electric vehicle deal
A Canadian who was detained in China for nearly three years warned that Prime Minister Mark Carney’s electric vehicle deal risks creating a strategic dependency that the Asian superpower can exploit for political coercion.
Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat who was imprisoned from 2018 to 2021, said on Tuesday that the agreement would lead to unfair competition and the erosion of Canada’s industrial base.
Carney announced during a January trip to Beijing that Canada would accept an initial quota...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350931/canadian-who-was-detained-china-warns-against-carneys-electric-vehicle-deal?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-20 21:36:48 GMT

Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO, handing reins to firm’s hardware leader
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from the job that he inherited from the late Steve Jobs, ending a nearly 15-year reign that saw the company’s market value soar by more than US$3.6 trillion during an iPhone-fuelled era of prosperity.
Cook, 65, will turn the CEO duties over to Apple’s head of hardware engineering, John Ternus, on September 1 while remaining involved with the Cupertino, California, company as executive chairman.
That is similar to the transitions made by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350792/tim-cook-step-down-apple-ceo-handing-reins-firms-hardware-leader?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-04-06 02:00:13 GMT

Hong Kong’s new academy for female medical scientists aims to bridge gender gap
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has launched an academy to nurture the next generation of female medical scientists, aiming to bridge a sex gap in which women make up just one-third of researchers globally.
The Women in Science and Medicine Academy (Wise) aims to attract 100 early-career female researchers from the city and overseas in five years, supporting them with mentorship, leadership training and global exposure.
Professor Siew Ng, an associate dean of CUHK’s medical school and...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3349097/hong-kongs-new-academy-female-medical-scientists-aims-bridge-gender-gap?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-22 05:59:07 GMT

Israeli towns reel from ‘terrifying’ Iranian missile strikes
Sheltering from an Iranian missile attack on his town in southern Israel on Saturday, 17-year-old Ido Franky heard “terrifying” blasts like nothing he had experienced before.
An Iranian missile hit Franky’s town of Arad, hours after another struck Dimona – home to a nuclear facility – wounding dozens and leaving entire residential blocks with heavy damage.
Franky rushed to shelter with his family as air raid sirens sounded, warning of an incoming attack.
“There was a ‘boom, boom!’, my mother was...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347462/israeli-towns-reel-terrifying-iranian-missile-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:54:18 GMT

Frenchman jailed for 10 years in Azerbaijan: ‘I’m not a spy’
Azerbaijan on Monday sentenced a Frenchman to 10 years in prison in an espionage case launched during a period of diplomatic tensions between Paris and Baku that have now eased.
Martin Ryan was arrested in December 2023 and went on trial in January last year, when relations between Azerbaijan and France had deteriorated to new lows over Paris’ support for Armenia, Baku’s long-time rival.
The court found him guilty of spying against Azerbaijan and sentenced him to 10 years.
Prosecutors had sought...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346788/frenchman-jailed-10-years-azerbaijan-im-not-spy?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:48:53 GMT

China and the US end trade talks as doubts form over Trump visit
China and the US wrapped up their sixth round of trade talks in Paris on Monday, with the agenda ranging from a possible extension of bilateral tariff and non-tariff measures as well as bilateral investment.
“China and US conducted deep, frank and constructive consultations,” Li Chenggang, China’s top international trade negotiator, said after the meetings.
Both sides agreed to “continue to maintain the stability of tariffs”, Li said.
A day earlier US President Donald Trump told the Financial...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346787/china-and-us-end-trade-talks-doubts-form-over-trump-visit?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:33:01 GMT

Hong Kong in new push to get young people to register as voters
Young people can opt to make self-declarations to be exempted from producing proof of address to register as electors under a new Hong Kong government drive to boost voter numbers, lawmakers have been told.
A commissioner for oaths will be stationed at each Immigration Department registration of persons office, where young people replace their juvenile identity cards with adult ones upon turning 18.
The initiative was outlined as officials presented the 2026 voter registration campaign at...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3346785/hong-kong-new-push-get-young-people-register-voters?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:32:07 GMT

Malaysia’s Petronas wins right to challenge Sarawak gas laws in court
Malaysia’s highest court on Monday allowed national energy firm Petronas to pursue a legal bid to challenge several laws passed by the state of Sarawak, amid a protracted dispute over gas distribution rights.
Sarawak, on Borneo island, is home to more than 60 per cent of Malaysia’s gas reserves and has long sought greater control over its natural resources.
In recent years, it has passed laws and appointed its own firm Petros to procure, distribute, supply and sell all natural gas in the state,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346783/malaysias-petronas-wins-right-challenge-sarawak-gas-laws-court?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:30:11 GMT

Why Trump's push for China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz may hurt trade talks
US President Donald Trump’s reported threat that he may postpone a long-awaited visit to China – unless Beijing helps unblock the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz – may put the current trade talks in Paris at risk by sidelining earlier priorities and potential deals, analysts say.
As the US-Israeli war in Iran enters its third week and disrupts global energy markets, Trump has reportedly urged Beijing to send warships to help reopen the strait and ease oil shipments. About 20 per cent of the...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346784/why-trumps-push-china-help-reopen-strait-hormuz-may-hurt-trade-talks?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:30:09 GMT

Europe says it must rearm – but to what end?
With the Middle East ablaze and war in Ukraine showing no sign of respite, a stark new consensus is hardening in Paris, London and Berlin that Europe must rearm.
Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron signalled a pivotal shift in deterrence by announcing an increase in the nation’s nuclear warheads and a “forward deterrence” plan. This follows a rare joint appeal from the British and German defence chiefs, who urged Europeans to build a moral and strategic case for a massive surge in...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346554/europe-says-it-must-rearm-what-end?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:02:37 GMT

Fix, don’t fire ‘digital employee’ OpenClaw over security risks: Paul Chan
Hong Kong’s finance chief has likened the powerful AI agent OpenClaw to an efficient “digital employee,” saying it should not be dismissed but rather improved to address security risk concerns.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s remarks on Monday followed the Digital Policy Office’s recent advisory urging government departments to avoid installing OpenClaw or its variants due to security concerns.
“AI agent OpenClaw has awed the world; the convenience it offers is just like having a digital...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346782/fix-dont-fire-digital-employee-openclaw-over-security-risks-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 12:00:09 GMT

AI poisoning: fake fitness tracker fools chatbots in China, sparking outcry
An undercover investigation by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) has cast a harsh light on a controversial practice in a nascent industry: the “poisoning” of artificial intelligence models with fabricated information.
The report showed how techniques of generative engine optimisation (GEO) – the AI version of search engine optimisation (SEO) – could be used to manipulate AI chatbots, provoking widespread public concern and debate as both industry insiders and observers anticipated...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346761/ai-poisoning-fake-fitness-tracker-fools-chatbots-china-sparking-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 11:53:05 GMT

Hong Kong businessman expected to take loss on Peak properties he bought for US$255m
Luxury residential property on Hong Kong’s Peak Road owned by businessman Chan King-wai has been put up for sale by public tender, several years after he acquired it from companies linked to CK group.
Marketing agent JLL said on Monday that the adjoining sites at 86, 88 and 90 Peak Road are being offered for joint sale by tender. The residential lots have a combined area of about 28,620 sq ft.
The site could attract bids of about HK$70,000 (US$8,939) to HK$100,000 per square foot, said Joseph...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346780/hong-kong-businessman-expected-take-loss-peak-properties-he-bought-us255m?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 11:49:26 GMT

Arrest of stateless teen in Malaysia highlights plight of Sabah’s 1 million non-citizens
The arrest of a 17-year-old stateless teenager during a school outing to buy Eid clothes at a Sabah mall for allegedly failing to show valid residence papers, has returned scrutiny to Malaysia’s treatment of undocumented people.
Niko Ansboy, a student at Borneo Komrad, an alternative school for stateless children, was waiting outside a store during a school trip to the 1Borneo Hypermall when police detained him on Sunday.
He was stopped by officers patrolling after the Kota Kinabalu District...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3346779/arrest-stateless-teen-malaysia-highlights-plight-sabahs-1-million-non-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 11:30:08 GMT

Papers please: China raises pressure on Panama amid canal row with ship inspection wave
Beijing has increased its inspections on Panama-flagged vessels entering Chinese ports, a source from the shipping industry said, an action intended to raise the Latin American country’s stress level after its courts voided the operating rights of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison in the Panama Canal.
Port state control (PSC) – the inspection regime countries may deploy to verify the compliance of foreign ships with various international standards – was being used as a form of leverage...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346767/papers-please-china-raises-pressure-panama-amid-canal-row-ship-inspection-wave?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 10:30:11 GMT

Most Filipino women think a woman’s place is in the home, survey finds
The Philippines ranks among Asia’s most gender-equal societies by several international measures. Yet ask Filipino women where they truly belong and most will still tell you: at home.
A new survey has found that 83 per cent of Filipino women agree “being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay”, up from 70 per cent when the same question was posed in 1994.
The findings, released by independent pollster Social Weather Stations earlier in March to coincide with National Women’s Month,...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346760/most-filipino-women-think-womans-place-home-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 10:19:53 GMT

Iran to turn bombed girls’ school into museum commemorating US ‘crimes’
Iran plans to convert the girls’ school that was bombed on the first day of the war into a museum commemorating the nearly 200 victims of the strike.
“This school is a living document of the Americans’ willingness to commit crimes and must be registered and documented for preservation in the historical memory of the Iranian people,” the Iranian government said in a statement issued on Monday.
At least 168 pupils aged between seven and 12 years old, 26 teachers and four parents were killed in the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346768/iran-turn-bombed-girls-school-museum-commemorating-us-crimes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:30:14 GMT

No ships cross Strait of Hormuz for first time since conflict began, data shows
Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day since the Middle East conflict began without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction.
Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it said.
“The concentration suggests that...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:15:03 GMT

Hong Kong policeman denies molesting clerk at headquarters in indecent assault case
A senior Hong Kong police officer has denied molesting a government clerk at the force’s headquarters more than a year ago.
Ian Chow Ngai-kong, 50, on Monday stood trial at Eastern Court on three counts of indecent assault over the alleged incidents at the police headquarters in Wan Chai on June 19 and November 1, 2024.
The court heard the complainant, a senior clerical officer from the Civil Service Bureau, was seconded to the police force to provide administrative support from August 2023.
She...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346750/hong-kong-policeman-denies-molesting-clerk-headquarters-indecent-assault-case?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:14:17 GMT

Dubai flights disrupted after drone attack near airport; missile kills 1 in Abu Dhabi
Missiles and drone attacks hit across the UAE on Monday, with a drone-related incident sparking a fuel tank fire near Dubai airport that disrupted travel, while a missile killed a civilian in Abu Dhabi.
In the eastern emirate of Fujairah, a drone attack on oil infrastructure sparked a fire, just one day after smoke was seen rising from a major UAE energy installation in the emirate.
The attacks came a day after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview that rockets had been...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346748/dubai-flights-disrupted-after-drone-attack-near-airport-missile-kills-1-abu-dhabi?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:11:33 GMT

2 dead after Japanese school trip boats capsize off US military base site in Okinawa
Two boats carrying 21 people capsized on Monday off Henoko, a controversial relocation site for a US military base off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, throwing all into the water and leaving two of them dead, officials said.
The Japan Coast Guard said 18 of them were students from a Kyoto high school on two boats, 10 on Heiwa Maru and eight on the smaller Fukutsu, to observe the Henoko area as part of their peace education programme.
Rescuers pulled all 21 people out of the water, but a...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3346746/2-dead-after-japanese-school-trip-boats-capsize-us-military-base-site-okinawa?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:04:14 GMT

China may snub Trump plea for help in Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump said he may put off a planned visit to Beijing as he sought to press China and other nations into helping reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in Iran.
“We may delay” the trip, he told the Financial Times on Sunday, without saying for how long. The visit, scheduled for March 31 to April 2, includes a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump has “demanded” that about seven countries help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, he told reporters on Sunday, as the...
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https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346744/china-may-snub-trump-plea-help-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:00:12 GMT

Malaysia’s US$6 billion megaport imperils Mah Meri way of life
Lingan bin Man pulls up to the fishing jetty in the early afternoon, guiding his small boat towards a narrow strip of wooden planks as waves crash against the dock.
On board are his wife and toddler. Together, the Malaysian family inspects the day’s catch: 2kg (4.4lbs) of clams after three hours at sea.
“I can sell this for US$7,” the 52-year-old said.
For fishermen in Kampung Sungai Kurau, a village on Pulau Carey, an island in Selangor state, this has become the new normal.
Members of the Mah...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346725/malaysias-us6-billion-megaport-imperils-mah-meri-way-life?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 09:00:10 GMT

Could this Chinese breakthrough pave way for global organ transplant system?
A team of scientists in China has developed a way to freeze and revive organs for transplant, extending their viability from as little as six hours to several days, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Medical Devices.
While the technology is still at the experimental stage and has not yet progressed to human trials, it could one day transform the entire field of organ transplantation, especially for hearts, the researchers say.
“If just half of the currently discarded...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346722/could-chinese-breakthrough-pave-way-global-organ-transplant-system?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 08:00:10 GMT

Shanghai sees massive F1 turnout, boosting city’s pitch as sporting destination
The Formula One (F1) Chinese Grand Prix drew record crowds over the weekend, another indication the wide-ranging efforts from host city Shanghai to raise its profile as a global sports and event destination are paying off.
The three-day event, which concluded on Sunday, attracted more than 230,000 cumulative spectators, the highest attendance headcount reported by the Chinese financial centre in nearly two decades.
On the opening day, the number of foreign arrivals through Shanghai’s ports...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346721/shanghai-sees-massive-f1-turnout-boosting-citys-pitch-sporting-destination?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 07:00:11 GMT

AI to narrow China’s rural-urban economic divide
China is counting on artificial intelligence (AI) to help the 450 million people living in rural areas left behind by the nation’s economic boom.
Farmers are already benefiting from the technology, using AI offerings such as DeepSeek or ByteDance’s Doubao for help with issues like pig rearing, pest control and government subsidies. The State Council’s “No 1 document” of 2026, extended a push for the “digital upgrading” of farming, with an emphasis on the greater integration of AI, drones, robots...
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https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346713/ai-narrow-chinas-rural-urban-economic-divide?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 06:51:29 GMT

Myanmar’s junta-proxy parliament meets for first time since 2021 coup
Five years after armoured vehicles rolled through the streets of Myanmar’s capital and the generals tore up an election result they did not like, a new parliament sat for the first time on Monday.
The legislature that convened in Naypyidaw was stacked almost entirely with allies of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader who ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
In Myanmar’s recent election, held across barely a third of the country, the army-backed Union Solidarity...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346724/myanmars-junta-proxy-parliament-meets-first-time-2021-coup?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 06:36:21 GMT

China’s supply chain meets the wall of African resource nationalism
Resource-rich African nations are increasingly asserting control over critical minerals to maximise domestic returns, sending global prices soaring and exerting pressure on Chinese supply chains.
Zimbabwe, Africa’s largest lithium producer, last month abruptly suspended exports of raw lithium minerals and concentrates, moving its 2027 deadline forward.
Zimbabwe’s mines minister Polite Kambamura revealed in a post-cabinet briefing on March 3 that following notice of the intended ban, the industry...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346717/chinas-supply-chain-meets-wall-african-resource-nationalism?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 06:36:13 GMT

9 injured as car mounts pavement in Hong Kong
Nine people have been injured after a car mounted the pavement on a Hong Kong street.
Police were called to Lam Hing Street in Kowloon Bay at about 12.40pm on Monday following reports of a car veering onto the walkway.
The vehicle, which has both local and mainland Chinese number plates, sustained damage to its left front door and window, as well as its rear left door.
pavement bricks were left scattered across the walkway, while several lamp posts, trees and roadside fences were damaged.
Five...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3346720/9-injured-car-mounts-pavement-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 06:24:36 GMT

20 Thai sailors return home after Iranian attack in Strait of Hormuz
Twenty Thai crew members of a cargo ship attacked in the crucial Strait of Hormuz arrived in Thailand on Monday, with three of their colleagues still stranded on the vessel in the Gulf.
The Thai-registered Mayuree Naree was hit by two projectiles on Wednesday while transiting through the Gulf waterway, after departing a port in the United Arab Emirates.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had struck the Thai ship, as well as a Liberia-flagged vessel, in the strait because they had ignored...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346718/20-thai-sailors-return-home-after-iranian-attack-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 06:01:28 GMT

James Taylor-Foster, Para Site’s ‘wild card’ director, on ‘beautiful paradox’ of Hong Kong
With his peroxide blond hair, dark moustache and luxuriant eyebrows, London-born curator and writer James Taylor-Foster is easy to pick out among the tourists and selfie-takers in the courtyard of Yick Cheong Building, also known as the “Monster Building”, in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay neighbourhood.
The South China Morning Post is meeting the 33-year-old here shortly after the board of the Hong Kong non-profit art space Para Site chose him to be its next executive director. That space, a few...
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https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346461/james-taylor-foster-para-sites-wild-card-director-beautiful-paradox-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 06:00:08 GMT

China woman uses AI-generated man to lecture on respecting science, rejecting superstition
Young people in China are contributing to a fake account generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to lecture their parents about healthy and scientific life values.
A social media account called “Lao Zhao jiang dao li”, or “Mr Zhao talks sense”, went viral recently, amassing over 200,000 followers in just two months.
The man surnamed Zhao, based in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, claimed in his profile that he is a retired professor who has specialised in parent-child relationships...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346320/china-woman-uses-ai-generated-man-lecture-respecting-science-rejecting-superstition?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 04:12:09 GMT

China defence experts vanish online, Thai coconut cartel crisis: 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. Top Chinese nuclear, radar and missile experts vanish from engineering body site
2. The US is shifting THAAD to the Middle East. What does that mean for China?
3. Hong Kong OpenClaw users say tool is helpful ‘family member’ who must be watched
4. Inside the coconut cartel: how Chinese money...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3346695/china-defence-experts-vanish-online-thai-coconut-cartel-crisis-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 04:00:10 GMT

Things ‘I do not like’ drove me to quit US for Hong Kong: top mathematician Ngo Bao Chau
World-leading Vietnamese mathematician Ngo Bao Chau has said his decision to leave the US was not just the result of the worsening academic environment there, but also a vision to transform Asia into the next global powerhouse for maths and science.
Ngo, the first Vietnamese recipient of the prestigious Fields Medal, will join the University of Hong Kong in June.
“I want Asia to be the next America or the next Europe [as] a place where science and mathematics strive,” he said in an interview on...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346664/things-i-do-not-drove-me-quit-us-hong-kong-top-mathematician-ngo-bao-chau?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 04:00:08 GMT

Philippines’ Jollibee stands out as Southeast Asia’s global restaurant exception
From Singapore’s hawker stalls to Thailand’s street markets and Vietnam’s noodle shops, Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s most celebrated food cultures.
Yet the region has produced relatively few restaurant chains with global brand recognition, even as Chinese food and beverage groups climb international rankings.
Analysts say structural factors – including smaller domestic markets, fragmented regional consumer tastes and fewer brands expanding aggressively overseas – have slowed the...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3346547/philippines-jollibee-stands-out-southeast-asias-global-restaurant-exception?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 01:30:08 GMT

Mainland-style oversight system could help Legco to deliver
After the annual “two sessions” in Beijing, it’s clear that Hong Kong policymakers have their work cut out for them. It has been made abundantly clear what is expected of Hong Kong: stop messing around and get on with the national programme.
Hong Kong is part of the nation’s plans to move forward. The country knows exactly where the city fits into the big picture, how it can catapult growth in key areas and play the role of superconnector between China and the rest of the world.
The 15th...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346468/mainland-style-oversight-system-could-help-legco-deliver?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 01:00:12 GMT

Hong Kong regulator sets ‘comprehensive’ review of medical insurance costs
Hong Kong’s Insurance Authority aims to increase transparency and the available range of medical insurance products to address rising costs, while also reviewing regulations with an eye towards attracting more international life-insurance buyers.
“We would like to see the insurance companies introduce more medical insurance products that are more accessible and affordable for the general public, with sales practices that are fair to consumers,” said Clement Lau Chung-kin, the authority’s...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346649/hong-kong-regulator-sets-comprehensive-review-medical-insurance-costs?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 01:00:10 GMT

China Liaoning warship’s sole female senior officer urges fellow women to prioritise professional skills
The sole female senior officer aboard China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier has urged women to put aside their gender and focus on professionalism and responsibility.
On March 7, during the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing, a poised and confident female military deputy in uniform captured nationwide attention.
Zhu Yuemeng, 36, from a modest family in Jilin province, northeastern China, is a naval lieutenant colonel and serves as a political instructor on board the Liaoning aircraft...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346243/china-liaoning-warships-sole-female-senior-officer-urges-fellow-women-prioritise-professional-skills?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 00:30:16 GMT

30% jump in demand for regional holidays among Hongkongers amid Middle East war
Demand for some regional holiday destinations among Hong Kong travellers has jumped by as much as 30 per cent ahead of Easter, as locals seek to avoid long-haul trips amid rising airfares and disrupted routes caused by the ongoing war in Iran, according to industry players.
Travel agencies said the number of inquiries for trips to Japan, South Korea, mainland China and Australia had risen by between 10 and 30 per cent since the war escalated, while demand for destinations linked to the Middle...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3346683/30-jump-demand-regional-holidays-among-hongkongers-amid-middle-east-war?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 00:00:13 GMT

Trump wants Japanese warships in Hormuz. Can Takaichi ‘dodge the bullet’?
The rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East threatens to overshadow this week’s meeting between Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump, where the two leaders are expected to deepen economic cooperation and collaboration in shipbuilding.
Thursday’s summit at the White House puts Takaichi in a bind, caught between Trump’s call for Tokyo and others to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and her country’s constitutional limits on taking part in...
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https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346660/trump-wants-japanese-warships-hormuz-can-takaichi-dodge-bullet?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-16 00:00:09 GMT

Precision strike: China targets US, Japan stranglehold on photoresist supply
China’s push for semiconductor self-sufficiency is shifting from broad aspiration to a precision strike on chokepoint materials, with photoresist – the light-sensitive chemical essential for etching microscopic circuits onto silicon wafers – emerging as a new battlefield.
The sector, which provides the key material for lithography, was expected to enter a critical stage of “accelerated breakthroughs and large-scale application” over the coming years, according to Fu Zhiwei, chairman of Xuzhou...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346555/precision-strike-china-targets-us-japan-stranglehold-photoresist-supply?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 22:00:10 GMT

Why Iran strikes may drive Asian nuclear race, hit China in the Middle East: Zhao Tong
Zhao Tong is a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Programme at Washington-based think tank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and its East Asia-based research centre on contemporary China, Carnegie China.
His research focuses on strategic security issues, including nuclear weapons policy, deterrence, arms control, non-proliferation, missile defence, hypersonic weapons, regional security in the Asia-Pacific, and China’s security and foreign policy. This interview first appeared in...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346215/why-iran-strikes-may-drive-asian-nuclear-race-hit-china-middle-east-zhao-tong?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 20:27:44 GMT

Afghan asylum seeker dies in ICE custody, US advocacy group says
An Afghan immigrant who previously worked with the US military in Afghanistan and later sought asylum in the United States died this weekend in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody less than 24 hours after ‌being detained in Texas, a US veteran-led advocacy group said on Sunday.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, who was living in a Dallas suburb with his wife and six children while his asylum case remained pending, was arrested by federal agents outside his flat on Friday morning while...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346691/afghan-asylum-seeker-dies-ice-custody-us-advocacy-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 19:43:29 GMT

Police arrest 12 as hundreds join banned pro-Palestinian march in London
Hundreds of people turned out in London on Sunday for a pro-Palestinian march banned by the government after police said it was organised by a group “supportive of the Iranian regime”.
Police said in a statement they had arrested 12 people and were investigating anti-Israeli chants allegedly made at the rally.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said earlier this week she had agreed to the ban to “prevent serious public disorder” in the context of the continuing conflict in the Middle East, where...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346690/police-arrest-12-hundreds-join-banned-pro-palestinian-march-london?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 18:49:00 GMT

Gaza’s Rafah crossing to open on Wednesday ‘for limited movement of people’, Israel says
Gaza’s ⁠main gateway, ⁠the Rafah crossing with Egypt that was closed at the start of ‌the Iran war, will open on Wednesday for limited movement of people in both directions, Israel’s COGAT, the ⁠military body in charge of humanitarian ‌matters, said on Sunday.
The crossing had reopened ‌in early February after being largely ⁠shut ⁠since May 2024, in the ‌early months of Israel’s war against Hamas ‌in ‌Gaza. Its reopening offered ‌some relief to Palestinians who ⁠want to leave Gaza for ⁠medical...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346689/gazas-rafah-crossing-open-wednesday-limited-movement-people-israel-says?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 18:00:12 GMT

Iran says women’s football captain has withdrawn Australia asylum bid
The captain of the Iranian women’s football team which played in the Asian Cup in Australia has withdrawn her bid for asylum, state media said on Sunday, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind.
A former player and a Persian-language television channel based outside Iran said the players had been pressured to reverse their stance through threats against families back home. But Iranian authorities have in turn accused Australia of pressuring the players to stay.
Captain...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3346688/iran-says-womens-football-captain-has-withdrawn-australia-asylum-bid?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 17:12:51 GMT

Brother of Michigan synagogue attacker was Hezbollah commander, Israeli military claims
The brother of the man who attacked a Michigan synagogue last week, who was killed earlier this month in an Israeli air strike, was a Hezbollah commander, Israel’s military claimed on Sunday.
Ibrahim Ghazali was killed in Lebanon along with three other of the attacker’s relatives on March 5 - a week before authorities allege Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drove his car into a major synagogue outside Detroit and killed himself after security fired at him.
The FBI’s Detroit office, which is investigating...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346686/brother-michigan-synagogue-attacker-was-hezbollah-commander-israeli-military-claims?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 16:02:44 GMT

IEA says oil from emergency stocks to flow in Asia immediately
The International Energy Agency said oil from a record stockpile release will be made available in Asia immediately as buyers in the region clamour to replace barrels lost to war-related disruptions in the Middle East.
The agency released a statement after it said it received implementation plans from member states. Barrels for Europe and the Americas will only be made available from the end of March.
The IEA last week said that the oil market is seeing the biggest supply disruption in history...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3346685/iea-says-oil-emergency-stocks-flow-asia-immediately?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 15:30:14 GMT

US energy chief signals Iran war could continue for several more weeks
Energy Secretary Chris Wright signalled the war with Iran may last several more weeks, with oil and petrol prices elevated as the US and Israel seek to destroy Iranian military capabilities.
In television interviews on Sunday, Wright defended the Trump administration’s argument that Americans are facing short-term pain at the pump in a midterm election year for the larger goal of eliminating Iran as a threat to the Middle East.
“I think that this conflict will certainly come to the end in the...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346684/us-energy-chief-signals-iran-war-could-continue-several-more-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 14:33:11 GMT

Online influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate seen partying in Hong Kong
Online influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who both face rape and human‑trafficking charges in Romania and the United Kingdom, were reported to have entered Hong Kong over the weekend, sparking heated discussion online.
Andrew posted a photo of himself on a luxury boat in Victoria Harbour on X on Sunday, while other posts showed the brothers visiting the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district and a crab restaurant in Causeway Bay.
A video he posted a day earlier showed the brothers singing...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346680/online-influencers-andrew-and-tristan-tate-seen-partying-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 14:22:48 GMT

Over 300 Wang Fuk Court homeowners to petition Hong Kong’s John Lee for meeting
More than 300 homeowners from the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po have signed a petition to be sent to Hong Kong’s leader, demanding a face-to-face meeting with government-appointed Hop On Management Company over unresolved issues.
The letter to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, obtained by the South China Morning Post on Sunday, bore 336 signatures – or 15 per cent of homeowners – who raised concerns in seven areas. These include the use of remaining renovation funds, the handling of...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346679/over-300-wang-fuk-court-homeowners-petition-hong-kongs-john-lee-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 14:00:10 GMT

Could the PLA’s new shipborne drone redefine naval operations in the South China Sea?
A new type of autonomous helicopter has been seen operating on the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, possibly improving the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) capabilities in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
Mainland state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday released a video explaining the operational capabilities of China’s Type 075 amphibious assault ship. It showed a lightweight uncrewed helicopter parked on the ship with folding rotors that appeared to be slightly smaller than the PLA’s...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3346655/could-plas-new-shipborne-drone-redefine-naval-operations-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 13:54:23 GMT

Over 800,000 Lebanese – 1 in 7 of the population – displaced by war in 10 days
Fatima Nazha slept on the street for two days after she and her family fled their home in Beirut’s southern suburbs following an Israeli mass evacuation order.
All of the schools the government turned into shelters were full, and the family could not afford a hotel or a flat, so she and her husband eventually moved into a tent in the country’s biggest stadium while their kids and grandchildren found shelter near the southern coastal city of Sidon.
In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people in...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346678/over-800000-lebanese-1-7-population-displaced-war-10-days?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 13:28:11 GMT

Hong Kong researcher sounds alarm after toxic electronic waste found in dolphins
A Hong Kong researcher has called for stricter regulations and urged the public to use electronics more responsibly after a study found toxic pollutants from laptops, televisions and smartphones in the bodies and brains of endangered dolphins and porpoises that washed up on the city’s beaches.
Yuhe He, an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong and one of the study’s authors, said he was alarmed to find that liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) – the pollutants identified in the research –...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346676/hong-kong-researcher-sounds-alarm-after-toxic-electronic-waste-found-dolphins?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 13:00:07 GMT

Why is Andy Lau’s name carved on a 600-year-old brick from the Ming dynasty?
A 600-year-old brick bearing Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau Tak-wah’s name has gone viral on social media in mainland China.
Three characters, identical to the actor and singer’s Chinese name, were carved into the city wall of Nanjing, the ancient capital of the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
The inscriptions, carved into a brick now preserved at the Nanjing City Wall Museum, offer clues about the identity of the ancient namesake – whose name is pronounced “Liu Dehua” in Mandarin.
The Ming-era...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346658/why-andy-laus-name-carved-600-year-old-brick-ming-dynasty?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 12:58:48 GMT

Panama urges Chinese shipping giant Cosco to resume operations at Canal
The Panamanian government has asked Chinese shipping giant Cosco to reconsider its decision to suspend operations at the Balboa port amid geopolitical tensions surrounding the strategic gateway and Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings.
Panama’s Minister for Canal Affairs Jose Ramon Icaza told reporters on Friday that Cosco’s decision had caught the government off guard.
“The Cosco issue has actually taken us a bit by surprise. All cargo is important, and certainly, Cosco cargo is important for us,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3346674/panama-urges-chinese-shipping-giant-cosco-resume-operations-canal?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 12:44:43 GMT

Top nuclear, radar and missile experts vanish from Chinese Academy of Engineering site
The profile of one of China’s top nuclear weapons scientists has been scrubbed from the website of the nation’s engineering brains trust.
Zhao Xiangeng, 72, was a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the nation’s highest academic body for engineering science and technology, but his profile page has disappeared from the CAE’s site.
It is not known when the page was removed, but Chinese media reports noted the change on Saturday.
Similar online references to other CAE academicians,...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346672/top-nuclear-radar-and-missile-experts-vanish-chinese-academy-engineering-site?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 12:30:07 GMT

‘Two sessions’ signals China-US tech contest is entering a new era
With the conclusion of China’s annual parliamentary “two sessions” meetings, emerging policy priorities suggest its relationship with the United States is entering a new technological era.
This year’s government work report set an economic growth target of 4.5 to 5 per cent and announced increased fiscal support for science and technology, including a 10 per cent funding rise for research and development and over 16 per cent for basic research. More than routine budget adjustments, these figures...
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https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3346402/two-sessions-signals-china-us-tech-contest-entering-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 12:26:50 GMT

7 die in Nepal as bus carrying Indian pilgrims plunges off mountain road into ravine
A passenger bus carrying Indian pilgrims slipped off a mountain road and rolled down its slopes in central Nepal, killing seven people and leaving nine more injured, police said Sunday.
All seven killed were Indian pilgrims, and seven other Indian pilgrims on board were injured and taken to nearby hospitals to get medical treatment. The other two injured in the crash, which happened on Saturday night, were the Nepali bus driver and his assistant.
The bus was returning after the pilgrims visited...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3346670/7-die-nepal-bus-carrying-indian-pilgrims-plunges-mountain-road-ravine?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 12:00:07 GMT

Carpool: Chinese giants use idled foreign plants to fuel global expansion
Chinese carmakers, saddled with excess capacity and weak demand at home, are taking a new approach to global expansion: utilising idled facilities abandoned by international marques.
By adopting an asset-light strategy, companies from Geely Auto to Great Wall Motor (GWM) can assemble their cars overseas at lower costs, broadening their influence on the global automotive sector, according to analysts.
“Mindful of profitability as well as geopolitical and operating risks, Chinese carmakers are...
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https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3346472/carpool-chinese-giants-use-idled-foreign-plants-fuel-global-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 11:36:25 GMT

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issue death threat for Israel’s Netanyahu
Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has threatened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with death, in a statement published on Sunday by Iran’s Fars and IRNA news agencies.
Netanyahu would be pursued and killed, the IRGC statement said.
The announcement followed mutual overnight attacks in the war between Iran, Israel and the United States.
The current round of hostilities began when Israel and the US launched a large-scale offensive against Iran on February 28.
Tehran...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346667/irans-revolutionary-guards-issue-death-threat-israels-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 10:35:44 GMT

Hong Kong to replace, not punish, underperforming Medical Council members
Hong Kong authorities have proposed replacing, rather than punishing, Medical Council members who underperform, after public outcry over a 15-year delay in an alleged medical blunder inquiry.
Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said the government had no plans to impose rigid deadlines for each stage of complaint handling by the quasi-judicial body, saying the requirement was “asking the impossible” and the council would “be required to” set time frames on their own.
The ombudsman previously...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346661/hong-kong-replace-not-punish-underperforming-medical-council-members?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 10:34:52 GMT

Body tied to bags of bricks found off Hong Kong pier in ‘suspicious’ case
Hong Kong police have launched an investigation after the body of a 60-year-old woman tied to bags of bricks was found floating off the public pier in Sai Kung, with officers describing the circumstances as “suspicious”.
At about 6am on Sunday, a passer-by reported seeing what appeared to be a human figure floating about five metres (16.4 feet) off the New Public Pier.
Firefighters and marine police retrieved the body. It had been bound with nylon rope and attached to three plastic bags...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346663/body-tied-bags-bricks-found-hong-kong-pier-suspicious-case?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 10:25:31 GMT

‘Black rain’: Iran war’s toxic pollution will spread and last for decades
News of black rain falling on Tehran felt all too familiar to Nejat Rahmanian as he scrolled through alerts on social media feeds and tried to contact relatives on March 8.
Israeli drone strikes hit giant oil depots and refineries on the outskirts of the Iranian capital a few hours earlier, setting fuel on fire and releasing columns of black smoke, which mixed with rain clouds that poured toxic chemicals onto the city later in the day.
The descriptions reminded the Iranian researcher of a...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346662/black-rain-iran-wars-toxic-pollution-will-spread-and-last-decades?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 10:00:25 GMT

China AI start-up Moonshot snags funds at US$18 billion valuation
Moonshot AI is seeking to raise as much as US$1 billion in an expanded funding round that would value the start-up at about US$18 billion, more than quadrupling its valuation in just three months and underscoring growing interest in Chinese artificial intelligence developers racing to rival Silicon Valley leaders.
The company behind the Kimi chatbot kicked off discussions for the latest round, people familiar with the matter said, after securing more than US$700 million earlier this year, which...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346659/china-ai-start-moonshot-snags-funds-us18-billion-valuation?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 10:00:13 GMT

Could China build an ‘army of centaurs’ with this non-invasive cyborg tech?
Chinese researchers have developed a wearable human-robot hybrid device that could transform soldiers into mighty “centaurs”, enabling them to push beyond their physical limits while walking and hauling loads in brutal environments.
The People’s Liberation Army has already rolled out exoskeleton robot systems to boost soldiers’ stamina and mobility. But this new device, dubbed the “centaur robot”, promises to give an even greater extra push.
The system, developed by a group at the Southern...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346287/could-china-build-army-centaurs-non-invasive-cyborg-tech?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 10:00:09 GMT

Iraqi reporter raised in China, famous for viral dance, gets engaged to Xinjiang woman
An Iraqi journalist, who is also an online celebrity in China and was once praised by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi, has become engaged to a woman from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Ameen Muneer Mohammed Al-Obaidi, who is better known by his Chinese name, Fang Haoming, boasts about 5 million followers on social media.
He works as a China correspondent for the Dubai-based China-Arab TV.
Fang, 26, joined other foreign journalists to perform the popular Subject Three street dance at a...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346237/iraqi-reporter-raised-china-famous-viral-dance-gets-engaged-xinjiang-woman?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 09:10:52 GMT

ByteDance reportedly suspends launch of Seedance video AI model after copyright disputes
TikTok’s ⁠Chinese parent, ByteDance, has put ⁠on hold the global ⁠launch of its latest video-generation model, Seedance 2.0, after copyright disputes with major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms, The Information reported on Saturday, citing two people with direct knowledge of the situation.
Reuters could not ‌immediately verify the report. ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ByteDance said last month it would take steps to prevent the unauthorised use of...
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346654/bytedance-reportedly-suspends-launch-seedance-video-ai-model-after-copyright-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 09:00:09 GMT

Tariffs, stockpiles, distrust: the EU’s messy bid to ditch China hits capacity problems
Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states will huddle in Brussels this week to thrash out a memorandum on critical minerals with the United States.
Underpinning the debate will be a tension that girds many elements of the bloc’s dealings in 2026: capacity versus trust.
Envoys will negotiate in the shadow of a new trade threat from US President Donald Trump, who last week shocked Brussels with a tariff investigation linked to overcapacity and forced labour of 60 economies including China, the EU...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346639/tariffs-stockpiles-distrust-eus-messy-bid-ditch-china-hits-capacity-problems?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 08:53:39 GMT

China and US begin fresh round of trade talks in Paris
Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Paris, as the two sides seek to pave the way for US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Beijing later this month.
The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Sunday local time.
Tucked deep inside the residential and quiet 16th arrondissement of...
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https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346652/china-and-us-begin-fresh-round-trade-talks-paris?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 08:44:18 GMT

Damp days ahead in Hong Kong, with 95% humidity expected in midweek
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Hong Kong faces a damp week ahead as humidity is expected to peak at 95 per cent with the arrival of a seasonal coastal mist from Wednesday, according to the city’s weather forecaster.
The Observatory said on Sunday daytime temperatures would climb to 26 degrees Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) in the middle of the week, with significantly more humid air arriving in...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3346651/damp-days-ahead-hong-kong-95-humidity-expected-midweek?utm_source=rss_feed

2026-03-15 08:38:17 GMT

Hongkonger, 28, held as HK$20 million of suspected cocaine seized in village house
Hong Kong police seized HK$20 million (US$2.55 million) worth of suspected cocaine in a village house in Sha Tin and arrested a 28-year-old man in an anti-drug trafficking operation on Saturday.
Senior Inspector Conrad Chan Yuen-fun, of the police narcotics bureau’s operation division, said on Sunday that the raid stopped the drugs from reaching the market.
The operation followed an investigation revealing the house in Sha Tin was being used to store illicit drugs, Chan said at a briefing on...
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https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346650/hongkonger-28-held-hk20-million-suspected-cocaine-seized-village-house?utm_source=rss_feed