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News - South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong’s border tourism push must not put Mai Po...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

For decades, parts of Hong Kong’s border like the Frontier Closed Area have been shrouded in mystery, their natural landscapes preserved as much by policy as by their remote geography. Recent plans to relax restrictions – including discussions around the Mai Po closed area – and the establishment of the Robin’s Nest Country Park signal a new era of accessibility. Having co-managed the Mai Po nature reserve for decades, the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong (WWF) views this shift with both...

HSBC asks victim of credit card theft to pay...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/22

A Hong Kong mother has been asked to pay more than HK$126,000 (US$16,100) in charges racked up by thieves who stole her credit card last November after HSBC said she failed to report the loss immediately. But 42-year-old Janice Choi* accused the bank of double standards, saying a friend who also had her credit card stolen on the same day reported the case to HSBC the next day and had the fraudulent charges waived. Choi told the South China Morning Post that she was notified in February that

China reports ‘stunning’ critical minerals finds as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

China has announced major discoveries of various critical minerals, including rare earths and fluorite, bolstering its reserves of the resources essential for the hi-tech, new energy and defence industries.At the Maoniuping mine in Sichuan province’s Mianning county, authorities announced the discovery of 9.7 million tonnes of rare earth oxides, bringing the site’s total proven reserves to 10.4 million tonnes, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. Surveys also revealed 27.1 million...

Hawaii suffers worst flooding in 20 years, with more...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years as heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, officials said on Friday, while warning that more rain was expected during the weekend. Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a

Does the USS Tripoli’s deployment to the Middle East...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Washington’s deployment of an amphibious assault ship from Japan to the Middle East could signal a temporary reduction in US military capacity in the Indo-Pacific region but will not necessarily diminish its deterrence of China, according to analysts. According to American media reports, the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli has left its home port in Japan and is making its way to the Middle East, carrying 2,500 marines on board. According to Marinetraffic.com, which monitors ships based on...

China, India and why Jeffrey Sachs says the US needs...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

China should support India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, a prominent US economist has suggested, saying the two Asian powers could overcome historical grievances and political distrust to inject stability into the world. “China’s real interest is true, stable multipolarity,” Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told a seminar in Beijing on Friday, urging India not to become a pawn in a US game to hold China back. “I believe that China should, after...

Plan for full taxi access to Discovery Bay sparks...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Some Discovery Bay residents have expressed frustration over a proposal to allow unrestricted taxi access to the seaside resort-like neighbourhood in Hong Kong, with a petition calling for greater public consultation garnering more than 1,100 signatures. In a reply to the South China Morning Post on Saturday, the Transport Department also confirmed it had received a taxi proposal from Discovery Bay’s management company, as well as “different views” from residents. Taxis have had limited

Most of Ukraine’s Chernihiv region has no power after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Most of Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region was ‌left without power on Saturday after a Russian drone attack, local governor Viacheslav Chaus said. He ⁠said repair works were under way ‌to fix the damage. The region, which ‌borders Russia and Belarus, ⁠had ⁠a pre-war population of nearly ‌a million. The regional capital, also called ‌Chernihiv, ‌was fully without power, ‌the city administration there ⁠said. Russia has conducted a vast ⁠bombardment campaign against Ukrainian energy facilities...

Could Taiwan’s military continue to fight after an...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

The survival of Iran’s political and military apparatus following a massive US-Israeli decapitation strike has ignited a strategic debate in Taiwan, with experts weighing the island’s ability to withstand a similar “surgical” opening to an attack from the mainland. Military analysts and officials in Taipei are closely studying the February 28 strikes that killed Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, and Iran’s ability to sustain organised resistance in the weeks that have followed. Iran’s...

Hong Kong police arrest 5, recover nearly HK$100...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Hong Kong police have arrested five people and recovered nearly HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) worth of gold stolen in a suspected deception case, in which a “buyer” allegedly worked for a group that seized the haul before fleeing. The incident took place at about 2.45pm on Friday at an office in Peninsula Square, a commercial building on Sung On Street in Hung Hom, where a staff member was conducting a gold handover to the “buyer”. The South China Morning Post earlier reported that the

Iran fires missiles at UK-US base in Indian Ocean’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Iran launched ballistic missiles at the joint US-UK military base in Diego Garcia on Friday, showing a missile capability that goes beyond what Tehran was known to have possessed. The base, a strategic airfield that can host B-2 stealth bombers located nearly 4,000km (2,500 miles) from Iran, suffered no damage, according to a person familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity. The attack was the first time in the three-week-old war that Tehran was reported to have used weapons...

China decries ‘unjust war’ on Iran as it calls for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

China called for a halt to the “unjust war” in Iran in a phone call between top diplomats on Friday and expressed willingness to work with France to prevent other nations from being drawn into the conflict. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to the French president, that as members of the UN Security Council, the two countries should work together to firmly uphold international law and prevent the world from reverting to the “law of the jungle”. “The

At least 14 die in South Korea fire at car parts factory

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Fourteen people died and 25 were seriously injured in a fire at a car parts factory in the South Korean city of Daejeon, fire authorities said ⁠on Saturday. The fire broke out around lunchtime on Friday and was contained ‌by 11.48pm, the safety ministry said. Another 35 people suffered minor injuries, the fire authorities added. As of Saturday morning, 28 people were sent to hospital, and four of them had surgery for broken bones and other injuries. Fire officials said the factory was owned

Nvidia’s Huang calls China ‘formidable’ in robotics...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite the US pioneering the market, as the company bets on physical AI and looks to return to the Chinese market. “I think China is formidable,” Huang said when asked about the country’s rise in the robotics industry during a podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech executives. “The reason for that is because their microelectronics, motors, rare earth and magnets – which are foundational to robotics

China’s infamous ‘Aunt Mei’ arrested after...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

A shadowy go-between known as “Aunt Mei” allegedly involved in a notorious child trafficking case has been arrested, according to police in southern China. Police in the city of Guangzhou said the woman, surnamed Xie, had been identified last year, and the case was still under investigation, state media reported on Saturday. The reports did not specify when the arrest was made. For years, police were aware an intermediary had been involved in the trafficking case, but Aunt Mei remained at

US man offered ‘national gift’ to settle in China...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

An American man who donated photographs of the Japanese invasion of China in World War II and received a national gift of porcelain from China has announced that he has settled in the country. On March 15, Evan Kail announced the news on social media, saying that he has chosen to live in Tianjin in the north of the country, according to a report by the Beijing News. Minnesota pawn shop owner Kail, 37, has enjoyed enormous popularity in China after he donated an album containing more than 30...

China and the Netherlands seek ‘pragmatic’ reset as...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

The phone call between the Dutch and Chinese foreign ministers was a first on a series of fronts. For the new Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, the call on March 13 was his first with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi since taking on the job a few weeks earlier. It was also the first between the two holders of the offices since China and the Netherlands became embroiled in a row over the control of Chinese-owned, Netherlands-based chipmaker Nexperia. Nexperia is a major component in the...

As Iran hangs 3 young men, rights groups raise alarm...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

A 19-year-old star wrestler and two other young men were hanged in Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a wave of executions may be under way as authorities facing relentless attacks from the US and Israel seek to squelch public dissent. The three men are the first to be executed from among the tens of thousands who were arrested during a January crackdown on nationwide protests. Rights groups say more than 100 others could face death sentences. The wrestler, Saleh

Flying start for low-altitude economy goals as 100...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

Hong Kong authorities have received more than 100 applications for innovative drone usage to pioneer the city’s “low-altitude economy”, with some pilot projects set to launch as early as in three months, the transport minister has said. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also pledged to push more advanced transport technologies to transition from trials to everyday use in 2026. In a blog post on the Transport and Logistics Bureau’s website on Saturday, Chan said “the industry...

Veteran activist warns of ‘shrinking space’ for green...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/21

After decades at the front lines campaigning for environmental protection, The Green Earth founder Edwin Lau Che-feng is slowing down to focus on his health and hobbies. The 68-year-old has been one of the most vocal environmentalists championing a waste-charging scheme for more than two decades. Lau still remembers May 27, 2024, when the government abruptly paused the waste-charging bill, as if it were yesterday. The suspension was the biggest blow in his 36-year career. “It feels

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