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China’s Geely beats BYD in sales, CATL’s profit...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

We have put together stories from our coverage on electric and new energy vehicles from the past two weeks to help you stay informed. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Geely beats BYD sales in first 2 months of 2026 to become China’s top carmaker Geely Auto has gained the upper hand in mainland China’s intensifying automotive sector, as its diverse product line-up pays off after electric vehicle (EV) king BYD suffered a setback following partial...

Anthony Mason, who helped put top Hong Kong court on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Former Australian chief justice Anthony Mason, who was one of the first non-permanent judges to join the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal and oversaw many of its early key constitutional cases, has died at the age of 100. Tributes from current and former city officials poured in for the late jurist on Wednesday, just a day after he died. Mason is widely considered to have been pivotal in establishing the court’s role under Hong Kong’s new constitutional order following the city’s return to...

Investors eye Xi-Trump summit for direction as Hong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

The prospect of a meeting between President Xi Jinping and US counterpart Donald Trump has become a focal point for investors seeking some reassurance on growth and stability as the conflict in the Middle East dampens appetite for risk. Investors are awaiting clarity on the summit, viewing it as a potential sign of cooperation that could steady mainland China and Hong Kong equities. The meeting had been scheduled for the end of the month, but the White House said it would be postponed by five

As ‘lobster fever’ grips China, Tencent makes...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings has integrated its QClaw AI agent as a mini-program in its flagship WeChat app as it pushes to expand adoption of its OpenClaw-based tool. It said QClaw was now accessible as a mini-program inside WeChat after an upgrade on Wednesday that allowed users to transfer files to their personal computers. QClaw was launched last week as an OpenClaw-based artificial intelligence agent for personal computers that users could control remotely from WeChat on their...

Satellite images reveal damage of the widening Middle...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Satellite images are beginning to be released, giving a glimpse into the toll of the Iran war, with ships ablaze in an Iranian port and destroyed buildings at an American base. Information has so far been scarce about the damage being done across the Middle East, particularly when it’s inside closed military facilities, since the start of the war on February 28. The images come from Planet Labs PBC, a San Francisco-based firm used by media outlets, including Associated Press. Planet Labs has

Chinese scientists use E coli to fight breast tumours...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Chinese scientists have engineered E coli bacteria into a novel cancer therapy that colonises tumours, produces an existing drug on-site and delivers it directly – reducing the toxic side effects of traditional chemotherapy. The research, performed on mice with breast cancer, paves the way for targeted cancer treatments in future, according to the scientists from Shandong University in Qingdao, eastern China. Escherichia coli (E coli) is a group of bacteria commonly found in the gut. While

Jar burials: a glimpse into ancient China’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

One of the profound tragedies in life is the burial of the youngest among us. In Neolithic China (9,000–1,500 BC), urn burials were often designated for the deceased children and infants. While urn burials for older babies have been extensively studied, there remains little understanding of burial customs surrounding stillbirths, miscarriages, or newborns who passed shortly after birth. A new 2026 study in China revealed that by examining 16 urn burials associated with perinatal deaths from

West Kowloon Cultural District to host second...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] The second Hong Kong International Cultural Summit will take place from 22 to 23 March at the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), with museum directors, arts administrators and cultural leaders from around the world expected to attend as the city prepares for its annual Art Week. The two-day event will take place at venues across WestK, including the Xiqu Centre, M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Organised by

Hong Kong actor Gregory Wong loses appeal against...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Hong Kong actor Gregory Wong Chung-yiu has lost an appeal against his conviction and jail sentence of six years and two months for abetting a riot at the Legislative Council Complex during the 2019 anti-government protests. In a written judgment delivered on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal also dismissed the complaints by six others convicted in the high-profile case. The appellants had argued their jail terms of at least four years and 7½ months were manifestly excessive. Wong was among 14...

What brought John Lee’s alma mater to the brink of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s alma mater was already struggling with major weaknesses that hurt enrolment, such as a small, remote campus and poor sanitation in the surrounding area, before the school was prevented from running a subsidised Primary One class. The Five Districts Business Welfare Association School, which has operated for 69 years, was among the 15 schools that failed to secure 16 Primary One students each to receive subsidies for the coming academic year. Fourteen of the...

Cuba’s leader vows ‘unbreakable resistance’ if US...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Cuba’s leader on Tuesday said the US would face “unbreakable resistance” if it tries to take over the impoverished island nation, as communist authorities scrambled to fix a nationwide electricity blackout. Cuba’s government has been under increasingly crushing pressure, with Washington enforcing an oil blockade and openly stating it wants to end the nearly seven-decade-old US stand-off with the one-party communist state. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba’s decision announced this

Why delayed US-China summit raises stakes for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Thursday’s summit between US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was supposed to see the two leaders sit down in advance of Trump’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to ensure the allies were on the same page. Instead, with the US-China summit postponed and the Israel-US war on Iran going full blast, their meeting is likely to find Japan more on the defensive, according to analysts and former government officials. Takaichi would be trying to finesse shifting...

HSBC launches US$2.5 billion AT1 bond issue in Hong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

HSBC Holdings plans to raise US$2.5 billion by issuing two tranches of additional tier-1 (AT1) bonds, marking the reopening of such offerings after the US and Israel war on Iran rattled global financial markets. The biggest lender in Hong Kong and Europe by assets said in a stock exchange filing before the market opened on Wednesday that it intended to issue the AT1 bonds, officially named perpetual subordinated contingent convertible securities, on March 24 to strengthen its capital. The...

Can China still maintain good relations with Gulf...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Iran’s air strikes on the Gulf states have turned the spotlight onto China’s dilemma in trying to develop long-term relations with those nations but also with their arch-rival Iran. Strikes on all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on Iran have hit both American military assets stationed in those countries and civilian infrastructure, including oil refineries. As oil and gas producers, they are also bearing the brunt of the effective closure

How education develops a pathway for students’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

The teachings of philosopher and psychologist John Dewey, who was a major 20th-century education reformer, still resonate with teachers around the world today. He believed that learning is a social, communal process – requiring students to build their own understanding based on personal experience – and involves a continuous, lifelong journey, rather than merely a means to an end for gaining knowledge for one’s future career. He wrote: “The aim of education is growth: the aim of growth is

Cathay extends Hong Kong to Middle East flight...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has further extended its suspension of all flights to and from the Middle East until the end of April amid the ongoing conflict in the region. Observers said on Wednesday that war-driven drops in demand had made some routes commercially unviable, while noting the impact on travellers would be limited as regional carriers still maintained essential services. Cathay Pacific said flights between Hong Kong and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and...

From studio to market: Hong Kong Design Institute’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Hong Kong is rapidly consolidating its role as Asia’s premier design and creative hub. By aligning strategic policy with both local and national development plans, the city is attracting investment, fostering cross border collaboration, and scaling creative enterprises. Anchored by institutions such as the HKDI, Hong Kong is cultivating a robust, tech-savvy design workforce that blends rigorous education, industry...

Scammers impersonate Hong Kong lawmaker to defraud...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

Hong Kong lawmaker Gary Chan Hak-kan has been impersonated in a scam that defrauded a victim of HK$38,000 (US$4,850), with the legislator calling the crime despicable. Police said on Wednesday they received a report from a woman the previous day, stating she had received a call from a man pretending to be another person who persuaded her to send money under false pretences. The woman transferred HK$38,000 to an account specified by the caller but subsequently lost contact with him, prompting

Injured buffalo euthanised after causing rush-hour...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/18

An injured buffalo has been euthanised after it was struck by a car on a Yuen Long highway on Wednesday morning, leaving it with a severe fracture in its front left leg, Hong Kong authorities have said. Dashcam footage circulating online captured the moment the buffalo emerged from roadside shrubbery into the fast lane, where an oncoming vehicle was unable to brake in time. The animal rolled over after hitting the ground and tried to stand up slowly but failed. Following the heavy impact, the...

New signalling system launches smoothly despite minor...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/15

Some trains were misaligned with the platform screen doors on the MTR’s Tsuen Wan line on the first day a new signalling system in Hong Kong was implemented, but such teething problems were rare in a launch that went largely according to plan.The MTR Corporation said on Sunday overall operations had been “smooth” following the departure of the first train at 6am, despite some “isolated” glitches. Some 200 staff were deployed to ensure that the line ran normally. “This morning we saw a few...

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