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Liu Guozhi, former top PLA scientist and nuclear test...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

A former top-ranking scientist in the Chinese military and one-time nuclear test site commander, Liu Guozhi, has been removed from the website of the country’s top national research institute. In 2016, Liu was named head of the science and technology commission of the Central Military Commission – China’s top military decision-making and command body – a position he is believed to have held until the early 2020s. Liu, 65, was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2009. Some

As war in Iran roils energy markets, Europe pays...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Europe woke on Thursday to another energy shock, as military attacks on critical infrastructure in Qatar and Iran sent oil and gas prices across the continent soaring to levels unseen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The continent’s benchmark natural gas price, the Dutch TTF, climbed above €70 (US$80) per megawatt hour in Thursday morning trading – its highest level since December 2022, though still well below the more than €300 peak reached in the summer of 2022. Brent crude

US war on Iran presents a complex strategic challenge...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

The US military strike against Iran is, by most accounts, a war of choice. Most policy analysts believe Iran poses no imminent threat to the United States. President Donald Trump’s decision appears partly intended to offset the political fallout from setbacks in his tariff policies and reinforce his image as a strongman president. Trump is believed to have been encouraged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wage war. US military preparations for the operation appear limited and

China offers to help Southeast Asia counter impact of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

China has pledged to work with Southeast Asian countries on energy security as the war in the Middle East continued to take its toll on global oil and gas supplies. “China stands ready to strengthen cooperation and coordination with Southeast Asian countries and jointly address energy security issues,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular press conference on Thursday. Lin also called for an end to the conflict, saying: “Relevant countries need to stop military operations

India’s weight-loss price war begins as semaglutide...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Namita Joshi made a New Year’s resolution in January to tackle one of her long-standing problems: being overweight. A key part of her slimming journey is her weekly weight-loss injections. While the 29-year-old interior designer has made changes to her diet and increased her workouts, she said the medication has helped her lose up to 6kg (13 pounds) in the past two months. With her weight at 85kg before her treatment and height at 1.65 metres (5.4 feet), Joshi was considered obese. “My mental...

Paralegals among 16 people arrested over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

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 Thursday. The other suspects were the claimants and worked in a variety of jobs, including IT technician, beautician, logistics worker, tutor, property...

US rapper Afroman celebrates after court protects his...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman won a defamation lawsuit filed by seven Ohio sheriff’s deputies who sued him over music videos in which he used home security footage to mock their raid of his home. “We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on!” the 51-year-old rapper, born Joseph Foreman, shouted outside the courthouse after the Wednesday evening verdict. He later posted the clip to social media. The case tested the limits of parody and the license artists can

‘Uncompromising’: Takaichi’s meeting with Trump seen...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

China and Japan’s long-standing rivalry has deep historic roots, and relations between the two have taken a significant turn for the worse in recent months. This article, the third in a three-part series, looks at how US President Donald Trump, Taiwan and war in the Middle East factor into their relationship. Read the second part here. As Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to host regional leaders for the Apec summit later this year, observers are closely watching whether the summit could...

If the Iran war takes oil above US$120 a barrel, how...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

With the US-Israel war on Iran entering its third week, the world faces the risk of a more severe oil shock as military strikes expand to major energy infrastructure, heightening fears of a prolonged conflict. In this explainer, the South China Morning Post examines the latest developments and factors driving oil price volatility and assesses the potential impact on the global economy. Energy infrastructure: what is the latest? An Israeli air strike hit energy facilities on Wednesday at

Recession fears grip markets as energy facilities...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

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 in retaliation for Israel’s strikes on its South Pars gas field. Brent futures surged 5.5 per cent to US$113.53 a barrel in London, and...

Filipino jeepney drivers struggle as oil prices...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

The ripple effects of the war in ⁠the Middle East are hitting home hard for ⁠Filipino jeepney driver Toni Prado, whose daily earnings have been gutted by soaring fuel prices. He was one of thousands of jeepney drivers who took to the streets across the country on Thursday to protest a more than doubling ‌of local diesel prices after global oil prices surged because of the US-Israel war on Iran. “We are losing our income. What we earn just goes to paying for diesel,” said Prado. “Before I

SFC prepares to inspect Hong Kong IPO listing...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

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 outlined expectations on staffing and quality controls when handling initial public offerings (IPOs) in Hong Kong. For example, the SFC

Gen Z Filipinos lead collapse in support for Duterte...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Growing disinformation in the Philippines and distrust in authorities could have led to a sharp drop in public support, particularly among Gen Z Filipinos, for the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) proceedings against former president Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly war on drugs. Only 32 per cent of Filipino respondents of different age groups approved the ICC’s move to prosecute Duterte in April last year, a month after he was arrested and flown to The Hague, according to a survey by WR...

Shanghai certifies 30 overseas offices amid China’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Shanghai certified 30 new regional headquarters of multinational corporations and 15 research and development centres funded by overseas entities on Wednesday – a sign of continued interest in the Chinese financial hub despite an overall decline in the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI). Of the companies whose headquarters and R&D centres were certified this week in a ceremony hosted by the city’s mayor, Gong Zheng, eight are on the Fortune 500 list, according to a statement from the...

EU inspects Druzhba pipeline in bid to unclog...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

European Union experts have arrived in Ukraine to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline, state energy firm Naftogaz said, after its closure in January caused a row with Hungary that is blocking an EU loan to Kyiv. The EU last week proposed sending a mission to inspect the pipeline. Ukraine later said it had accepted the EU offer of technical support and funding to restore oil flows through the damaged pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia have been cut off from Russian oil deliveries via...

A troubled US aircraft carrier is moving away from...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Recent mishaps involving the USS Gerald R. Ford suggest America’s military is overstretched and its industrial base has been weakened, according to Chinese analysts. The warship – the world’s most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier – has been supporting the US operation against Iran in the Red Sea. But US media reported this week that it would head to Greece for repairs after a 30-hour fire last Thursday destroyed more than 600 sailors’ berths. That followed reports in January of

Swallowing pieces of silk, eating cacti or just 1...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Long before calorie counting and healthy diets, women in ancient China were already under intense pressure to stay slim, even swallowing cacti or silk in pursuit of what was perceived as perfection. Many assume ancient Chinese women prized fuller figures, but the reality was more nuanced. The Tang dynasty (618–907) is often cited as the classic example, thanks in part to figures such as the female sovereign Wu Zetian and the consort Yang Yuhuan. Yet plumpness was never the sole ideal. In

Tribute to towering jurist: how the late Sir Anthony...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

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 the High Court of Australia for 23 years, with the final eight years (1987 to 1995) as its chief justice. He was perhaps best known to the

Blooming marvellous: Tokyo’s cherry blossom season...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Tokyo’s meteorologists declared the start of the much-loved cherry blossom season in the Japanese capital on Thursday, as residents prepare to host outdoor picnics under dazzling floral displays. The cherry season for Tokyo starts when the official sample tree at Yasukuni Shrine opens at least five flowers. “Today, the blooming of the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms was observed,” the Tokyo Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said in an eagerly awaited statement,...

Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison reports 7% gain in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

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 HK$22.3 billion (US$2.85 ‌billion) last year, compared with HK$20.8 billion a year earlier. Including a one-time ⁠accounting loss, net profit fell...

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