China

Hong Kong police have arrested 16 more people, including paralegals, over traffic accident compensation claims worth more than HK$3.6 million (US$459,290) tied to a wave of “crash-for-cash” scams. The suspects, 11 men and five women aged 28 to 65, included three paralegals at a law firm in Mong Kok that was raided last month, the force said on […]

A recession mindset took hold among global investors after strikes on energy infrastructure in the Middle East heightened fears that disruption to production and distribution would keep oil prices elevated for longer, darkening the global economic outlook. Crude prices staged a comeback on Thursday after Iran attacked a liquefied petroleum gas site in Qatar […]

Hong Kong’s market regulator will soon begin inspection of investment banks to assess their roles as sponsors of listing candidates, in its latest effort to uphold the quality of new listings amid a booming market. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said the inspection would focus on whether banks had complied with its January circular, which […]

Sir Anthony Mason, one of Hong Kong’s first and greatest justices to sit on our Court of Final Appeal, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 100. Not only was he a towering jurist in the common law world, but his contribution to Hong Kong’s legal system, particularly in its formative post-1997 years, was both profound and enduring. Sir Anthony served on […]

CK Hutchison Holdings, one of the flagship companies owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s family, reported a 7 per cent increase in underlying profit for 2025, as the company predicted its businesses would face “new and perhaps unforeseen challenges” in 2026. The ports-to-telecoms conglomerate said on Thursday that underlying profit reached […]

A tower crane collapsed at a construction site for a public housing project in Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung on Thursday afternoon, killing the operator and damaging a truck. The contractor involved, Woon Lee Construction, was previously fined by authorities over two fatal incidents at its sites in 2009 and 2011. The accident occurred at 4.27pm at the […]

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- China is poised to leverage its capital markets to bankroll a new generation of hard-tech startups, rolling out long-term funding, national merger vehicles and an overhaul of its Nasdaq-style board.The moves, anchored in its 15th Five-Year Plan outline released this month, aim to harness financial instruments to bolster its […]

TOKYO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Seiya Matsuno has spent many years studying modern Japanese history and the darkest chapters within it.A researcher at the International Peace Research Institute of Meiji Gakuin University in Japan, Matsuno has long focused on Japan's history of aggression against China.In a recent interview with Xinhua, he disclosed new details […]

PARIS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A celebration ahead of the first International Day of Taijiquan, to be observed on March 21, was held on Wednesday at UNESCO headquarters in Paris under the theme "Fit for Life, Go for Taiji."Through demonstrations by practitioners from China and France, the event highlighted the philosophical depth of the traditional Chinese […]

(260319) -- NANJING, March 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- This aerial drone photo shows a view of a new energy battery production base of South Korean EV battery maker SK On Jiangsu Co,. Ltd. in Yancheng, east China's Jiangsu Province, Oct. 16, 2025. In recent years, Jiangsu, a key automotive manufacturing hub in China, has accelerated its automotive industry growth […]

LANZHOU, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have recently revealed the formation and evolution mechanisms of megadunes on a global scale, shedding light on the long-standing scientific question of how high loose sand can naturally be piled, according to the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) under the Chinese Academy of […]

(260319) -- NAIROBI, March 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Students practice Taijiquan, a kind of Chinese traditional martial arts, at the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, in Nairobi, Kenya, March 18, 2026. Upon the upcoming first International Taijiquan Day, the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi promoted Chinese traditional culture and […]

The UK government has confirmed that stricter English language requirements for immigrants announced earlier this month will not apply to Hongkongers using the British National (Overseas) visa pathway. The clarification from Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp came after more than 30 members of parliament sent a letter to the Home Office last […]

China's use of information technology and artificial intelligence to create effective networks and digital platforms not only facilitates communication between people, but also promotes the implementation of national policies, a point that Russia should learn from.VLADIVOSTOK, March 19 (Xinhua) -- China is a reliable and stable partner, and the region of […]

Islamabads evolving program could put American cities within range, the intel chief has saidPakistan's evolving missile program poses a potential threat to the US, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has said.She named the South Asian country along with Russia and others in the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment Report."Russia, China, North Korea, […]

Washingon DC [US]/ Tokyo [Japan], March 19 (ANI): Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday landed in the United States for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington, aiming to cement Japan's position as America's indispensable partner in Asia even as Trump turns his focus to West Asia amid the war with Iran, Japanese state […]

New Delhi [India], March 19 (ANI): Vikram Doraiswami, currently serving as the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to China, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.In an official statement, the MEA said, 'Vikram K. Doraiswami (IFS:1992), presently High Commissioner of […]

(Photo credit: Nick Oza/The Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC)With a 3-0 sweep of G2 Esports in the upper-bracket final, Bilibili Gaming became the first team from Group A to advance to the knockout stage at the First Stand Tournament on Wednesday in Sao Paolo.Also on Wednesday, FEARX swept Secret Whales 3-0 in the Group A lower-bracket semifinal to […]

GUANGZHOU, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have recently made a breakthrough by developing a novel and highly efficient mitochondrial capsule transplantation therapy, achieving the safe and efficient transplantation of healthy mitochondria into cells and tissues for the first time. This new therapy can significantly alleviate symptoms of severe […]

Hong Kong businessman Jason Poon Chuk-hung, his wife and four others have been arrested on suspicion of defrauding an enterprise financing scheme out of HK$6 million (US$765,500) during the Covid-19 pandemic, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source confirmed to the SCMP on Thursday that construction businessman Poon, 56, and his 54-year-old wife […]

NANNING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Rong'an County's kumquats in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have recently become a social media hit. Known as "jinju," meaning golden orange in Chinese, the small, oval-shaped citrus fruit has surprised consumers from Jakarta to Toronto.The fruit's biggest marketing boost came in late January, when Jensen Huang, […]

Taipei [Taiwan], March 19 (ANI): Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Thursday recorded the presence of 12 PLA aircraft, 9 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around its territory.Sharing the details in a post on X, the MND said that 5 out of 12 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central and southwestern part […]

Middle East banks and wealthy investors are poised to increase their investments in Hong Kong amid geopolitical tensions to diversify their risk and capture growing opportunities in Asia, according to the head of InvestHK, the government agency tasked with attracting foreign investment. A couple of Middle East banks were in the process of setting up offices […]

In my experience, most people misunderstand the concept of “separation of powers”, and so I would not be at all surprised if most people also misunderstand the term “executive-led government”. In the case of separation of powers, the confusion usually arises from the use of the word “separation”. It connotes a meaning of absolute independence or […]

SINGAPORE/KARACHI: Asian utilities are increasingly turning to coal-fired power to manage rising energy costs and secure supply, as the war involving Iran disrupts liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and drives prices sharply higher, industry officials said. The conflict has choked key supply routes, with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz largely […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The first session of a public evidential hearing into a fire that engulfed a residential complex in Hong Kong and killed 168 people began on Thursday, nearly four months after the disaster. Ordered by the city’s […]

Iranian president confirms death of intelligence ministerIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday confirmed in a post on social media platform X that Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib was killed.U.S. forces bomb Iranian missile sites near Strait of HormuzU.S. forces struck Iranian missile sites along Iran's coastline near the Strait of […]

Animal activists have urged Hong Kong authorities to review their culling strategy for wild boars and to introduce measures such as animal bridges to reduce human-wildlife conflict in urban areas following the recent deaths of eight wild pigs and a buffalo. They warned that as urban expansion, particularly the Northern Metropolis project, continued to erode […]

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has warned the public to beware of interest rate risks after it kept its base rate unchanged, following a similar move by the US Federal Reserve, as the city’s de facto central bank said the Middle East conflict has added to the uncertainty over the pace of rate cuts this year. HKMA maintained the city’s base rate […]

BEIJING, 19th March, 2026 (WAM) -- President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a letter to His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, concerning bilateral relations and ways to enhance them within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.The letter was delivered by […]

Washington DC [US], March 19 (ANI): White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that US President Donald Trump is not 'controlled by another country', and makes decisions keeping the US' best interest in mind.Leavitt made the comments a day after Joe Kent resigned from his post as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center. After his […]

(Photo credit: Fabrizio Bensch-Reuters via Imagn Images)The World Anti-Doping Agency will not take up the issue of national governments that fail to pay their dues until later the year, the organization said.Those countries include the United States.Last week, the Associated Press reported that the WADA executive committee would consider banning government […]

New Delhi [India], March 18 (ANI): The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has unveiled the match schedule for the 2026 Hockey World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands. While India Men's are set to kick off their campaign with a match against Wales, the Women's team will play their first World Cup match against China. India Men's will also face off […]

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 18 (ANI): India's Om Semwal produced a sensational upset on the opening day of the Indian Open 2026, defeating higher-ranked Mexican Sebastian Salazar in a gripping five-game encounter in Mumbai on Wednesday.According to Olympics.com, the 22-year-old, ranked 223 in the world, showed remarkable composure under pressure to […]

Washington, DC [US], March 18 (ANI): US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that Pakistan's missile developments have the potential to reach the US.Gabbard, while speaking at a Senate Intelligence hearing on worldwide threats, said that Pakistan's long-range ballistic missile development potentially could include ICBMs with the range […]

Orleans [France], March 18 (ANI): Former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth suffered a first-round exit at the Orleans Masters 2026 after going down in straight games to Denmark's Magnus Johannesen in Orleans, France, on Wednesday.Ranked 30th in the world, Srikanth made a bright start, opening up a 5-2 lead in the first game. However, Johannesen quickly took […]

New Delhi [India], March 18 (ANI): At a time when India is looking to strengthen its Air Force, the Defence Ministry has informed the Standing Committee on Defence that it is looking to join one of the two European global consortia working on developing sixth-generation fighter aircraft. The Committee said one of the consortiums has the UK, Italy and Japan, […]

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday issued a guideline outlining arrangements for pilot work to extend rural land contracts by an additional 30 years upon the expiration of the second-round contracts.The document, jointly issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, […]

(260318) -- GUADALAJARA, March 18, 2026 (Xinhua) -- A visitor views a bronze human head from the Sanxingdui archaeological site during an exhibition on the bronze civilization of southwest China at the Guadalajara Museum in Guadalajara, Spain, on March 17, 2026. An exhibition showcasing the bronze civilization of southwest China opened on Tuesday evening at […]

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Turkmenistan should expand the scale of cooperation in the natural gas sector, and elevate trade and investment levels, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Beijing on Wednesday.Xi made the remarks when meeting with National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly […]

New Delhi [India], March 18 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday filed charges against three cadres of the proscribed People's Liberation Army (PLA) terrorist organisation in the Assam Rifles truck ambush case, in which two personnel of the paramilitary force were killed in Manipur last year.The chargesheet, filed before the NIA […]

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China and Turkmenistan should expand the scale of cooperation in the natural gas sector, and elevate trade and investment levels, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Beijing on Wednesday.Xi made the remarks when meeting with National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly […]

Hong Kong authorities have raided three illegal fuelling stations and arrested two men, seizing more than 1,800 litres (475.5 gallons) of petrol with an estimated market value of HK$54,000 (US$6,891) as oil prices continue to spike amid the widening conflict in the Middle East. The joint crackdown by the Fire Services Department and the Customs and Excise […]

Hong Kong’s securities regulator on Wednesday recommended strengthening the stock exchange’s regulations to better protect investors following a review of 2024 compliance and enforcement cases. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) submitted its findings after vetting listed companies’ internal control reviews, their handling of late auditor […]

BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Wednesday urged avoiding further casualties and losses regarding the war raging in the Middle East, and pledged China's mediation efforts to facilitate a ceasefire.Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central […]