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How ‘salmon’ raised in landlocked Xinjiang is netting...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/25

Meltwater from snow-capped mountains is fostering an emerging trout-farming industry thousands of kilometres from the sea in western China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. The region, famous for its cotton, is on track to become China’s top trout producer as it ramps up efforts to diversify its agricultural base following criticism of labour practices in the cotton sector that led to import bans overseas. In 2018, in response to rising domestic demand for Atlantic salmon and limited local...

China consumer firms post strong results but analysts...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/25

Major Chinese consumer stocks listed in Hong Kong rose immediately after reporting strong full-year earnings, but retreated on Wednesday. Analysts said the results did not point to a broad recovery in the consumer market but instead underscored structural divergence and new growth drivers in mainland China consumption. Jeweller Laopu Gold posted stronger-than-expected results for 2025, with revenues of 27.3 billion yuan (US$4 billion) last year, a 221 per cent surge year on year, while net...

The case for spiritual wellness in an age of anxious...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/25

For most of my career in developmental and educational psychology, I have been guided by a single question: what do children truly need to flourish in the world they are entering? I don’t mean the world their parents inherited or the one textbooks were designed for, but the one unfolding – volatile, technology-saturated and deeply uncertain. Eight years ago, during my PhD studies at the University of Cambridge, I was certain I was close to finding the answer; I immersed myself in building...

A missile launch pad on the seabed? Chinese...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/25

Testing conducted by Chinese scientists has found that a solid rocket engine can ignite at 200 metres (656 feet) underwater – far deeper than submarine-launched missiles – suggesting new possibilities for deep-sea weapon systems. Ballistic missiles that can be launched from subs are central to strategic deterrence for nuclear powers – for example, the M51 used by France, America’s Trident system, and China’s Julang series. With these missiles on board, submarines, moving stealthily through

‘Be careful or I’ll kill your family’: China...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/25

Miniseries in China starring children have sparked controversy for their content becoming “adultified,” as critics say the trend will harm the psychological health of young actors. One of the controversial dramas depicts a five-year-old girl helping her father with stock investments, resulting in two billion yuan (US$290 million) in profits in a short time, the China Youth Daily reported. “This share’s price will rise to its trading limit in an hour. I would like to invest all my money, plus...

Cathay’s European flights could offset Middle East...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/25

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways’ extended suspension of its Middle Eastern flights is likely to have a limited financial impact on its passenger operations as its expanded European services should help offset losses, aviation experts have said. But they warned of broader effects on its cargo business, given the loss of the Middle East as a historically cost-effective transit route and the upwards pressure on fuel and insurance prices due to the war. The airline announced on

Denmark’s Frederiksen faces tough coalition talks to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/24

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is expected to hand in her coalition government’s resignation on Wednesday after suffering a massive election defeat, but could still emerge as leader of ‌a new cabinet in the coming weeks. Frederiksen’s Social Democratic Party had its worst election since 1903 on Tuesday, winning just 38 seats in the 179-seat parliament – down from 50 four years ago – amid voter concerns over migration, a cost-of-living crisis and welfare. Such domestic policy

Iran fires missiles across Middle East after Trump...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/24

Iran targeted countries across the Middle East with a fresh volley of missiles on Wednesday, hours after US President Donald Trump signalled tentative progress in diplomatic efforts to end the war. The conflict that began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran has mushroomed throughout the Middle East, sending world energy markets into tailspin. Iran fired a salvo of “precision-guided” missiles and drones at Israel and bases hosting US forces in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, the

US unlikely to convince China to join new nuclear...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/24

There is little chance the US could bring China to the table on any nuclear arms control agreements in the short term, despite upcoming leaders’ meetings this year, experts said on Tuesday, as the Trump administration pushes for a trilateral deal including China after the previous US-Russia treaty expired last month. There is “no shortage of good ideas” for how the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could move the world towards ending a nuclear...

US officials play down controller ‘distraction’ in ...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/24

US officials on Tuesday played down speculation that distracted air traffic controllers might have contributed to a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Two pilots were killed in the runway crash late on Sunday, which crushed the cockpit of the Bombardier plane and heavily damaged the emergency vehicle. Media reports said investigators were investigating whether airport traffic controllers were distracted by an odour issue on a United...

Meta ordered to pay US$375 million in New Mexico...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/24

A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found social media giant Meta liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms and other dangers. The verdict came after roughly a day of deliberations following a six-week trial in which the state accused Facebook and Instagram’s parent company of failing to protect minors from sexual abuse, online solicitation and human trafficking. The state had sought the maximum US$2.2 billion in damages, but the jury awarded a lesser...

Gary Liu and Liu Xiaochun on what role stablecoins...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/24

Welcome to Open Dialogue, a series from the South China Morning Post where we bring together leading voices to discuss the stories and subjects occupying international headlines. In this edition, we invited a prominent industry player and economist to reflect on the role of stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to fiat currencies or other assets. They discuss the differing approaches of China and the United States, as well as Hong Kong’s role in China’s strategy, as the city is expected to

Trump reposts Saturday Night Live video mocking...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

US President Donald Trump shared a video on his Truth Social network on Sunday of a television comedy skit portraying a terrified British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hoping to dodge a phone call with the American leader.The skit, broadcast on the premiere of the new British version of Saturday Night Live – adapted from the long-running US show – shows Starmer, played by George Fouracres, panicking inside 10 Downing Street at the prospect of a call with Trump. Starmer turns to a fake David...

Cuba is ready for a potential attack from US amid oil...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

Cuba is ⁠prepared for the unlikely ⁠possibility of a ⁠military engagement with the United States, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said over the weekend in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to take over ‌the Caribbean island nation. Havana and Washington entered talks earlier this month as an oil blockade imposed by Trump pushes the Communist-run nation deeper into economic crisis. Trump last week escalated his rhetoric against Cuba, saying he expected to...

New Dutch PM Rob Jetten to dine with Trump in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

The Netherlands’ new prime minister, Rob Jetten, will take part in a dinner with the Dutch king and queen hosted by US President Donald Trump in Washington next month, his aides said on Sunday. Jetten’s presence was confirmed despite criticisms that the centrist made against Trump before he was sworn in as premier on February 23. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will visit the United States between April 13 and 15 and during a stop in Washington, Trump invited them to a private...

Syrians protest against alcohol sale limits, personal...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

Hundreds of Syrians protested in central Damascus on Sunday against new restrictions on alcohol sales, reflecting wider fears that the Islamist authorities may tighten curbs on personal freedoms. The Syrian capital last week banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants and bars, only allowing shops in three Christian neighbourhoods to sell bottles. In one of them, Bab Tuma, demonstrators gathered in a silent protest following calls by civil society groups to condemn what they say...

US may ‘escalate to de-escalate’ attacks against...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

The United States may need to “escalate” its attacks against Iran to be able to wind down the war, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday, after US President Donald Trump gave seemingly contradictory trajectories for the US military campaign. Trump on Saturday threatened to “obliterate” Iranian energy plants if Tehran did not fully open the pivotal Strait of Hormuz, just a day after saying US objectives were “very close” and that he was considering “winding down” the war. Asked on...

Israel says investigating whether own soldiers shot...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

Israel’s military said it was investigating whether its own fire killed an Israeli civilian near the Lebanese border on Sunday, after Hezbollah claimed an attack in the same area. Israeli emergency workers said earlier on Sunday that a man was killed in a “direct hit” on his car by a rocket from Lebanon. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group said after the incident that its fighters had attacked Israeli soldiers in the same area. But the Israeli army later said it was “conducting a...

High-speed rail tickets selling fast as Hongkongers...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

Tickets from Hong Kong to many mainland Chinese destinations connected by cross-border high-speed rail services are nearly sold out for the first two days of the five-day holiday over Easter and the Ching Ming Festival. The mainland cities have become an alternative for travellers, with the escalating war in the Middle East triggering a global oil crisis and significantly disrupting airspace, prompting airlines to increase ticket prices and fuel surcharges. Steven Huen Kwok-chuen, executive...

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