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2 arrested in raid on Hong Kong syndicate accused of...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested two men in a crackdown on a syndicate accused of laundering HK$4.7 billion (US$600.54 million) in criminal proceeds over four years and running a drug business. Investigators from customs’ financial investigation bureau said on Thursday the group operated through two companies, receiving large sums of unexplained funds and channelling them through more than 2,100 transactions. The money‑laundering tactics involved shell companies, frequent transfers

Strait of Hormuz must stay blocked, Iran’s Mojtaba...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Iran’s new supreme leader has vowed to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases and avenge the blood of its martyrs in his first statement since succeeding his father. “The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used,” Mojtaba Khamenei said about the strategic waterway, which carries about a fifth of global oil shipments. Khamenei urged Iran’s Gulf neighbours to close US military bases in the region “as soon as possible, because they must have realised by now

Is it time for China to rethink non-intervention in...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively weaponised as part of the Iran crisis, Beijing should move beyond rigid non-intervention to take targeted action to defend its massive interests abroad, according to a leading Chinese government adviser. In an interview published on Monday, Zheng Yongnian called for a more assertive “intervention 2.0” while avoiding US-style hegemonic overreach or “strong-arm” tactics. He argued that China’s commitment to “absolute non-intervention” was becoming

Man injured after lithium battery catches fire on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

A man was injured on Thursday evening after a lithium battery he was carrying caught fire on a Hong Kong bus in Tsuen Wan, filling the vehicle with thick smoke. Police received a report at 7.21pm about the fire on the bus travelling on Citybus route E21, which was heading along Tsuen Wan Road towards Kowloon at the time. Smoke suddenly erupted in the front section of the upper deck as the vehicle passed Chun Shing Factory Estate in Kwai Chung. Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after

China’s nuclear warhead storage a ‘highly...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Most of China’s nuclear warheads are located at a single facility in the country’s northwest and could be vulnerable during a conflict, according to a US think tank. In a report published this month, the US Air University’s China Aerospace Studies Institute detailed the warhead management and logistical structure of the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force. The report, based on open-source intelligence, said much of China’s nuclear stockpile was stored at a single, centralised facility known

Robot ‘arrested’ after elderly woman startled and...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

An elderly woman was taken to hospital in Macau after being “frightened” by a humanoid robot that abruptly appeared behind her before it was escorted away by police, prompting social media users to joke it had been “arrested”. According to authorities, the woman, who was on her phone at the time, was startled when she suddenly noticed the robot behind her near the Lok Yeung Fa Yuen residential complex in Patane last Thursday. Video circulating online shows the woman angrily confronting the

China codifies ethnic assimilation with new ‘unity’...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

China has passed a new law on ethnic unity, creating a legal framework that analysts say is designed to counter Western ideological influence and provide a statutory mandate for assimilating the country’s minority groups. The Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress was formally endorsed by the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s top legislature, at the end of the annual “two sessions” on Thursday. The law was adopted by a near-unanimous vote of 2,756 in favour, with just three

Israel’s 90 nuclear warheads make any strike on Iran...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

The hostilities in the Middle East have renewed concerns about Israel’s widely known but officially unacknowledged nuclear arsenal, with an expert warning of catastrophic consequences if the weapons were used in the armed conflict. According to Alicia Sanders-Zakre, head of policy at the Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), it is “widely acknowledged among experts that Israel is a nuclear-armed country, but this has never been formally acknowledged by Israel

US Navy patrols Taiwan Strait before Xi-Trump summit,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

The United States has sent a military patrol aircraft through the Taiwan Strait weeks before the Xi-Trump summit, triggering People’s Liberation Army jet manoeuvres near Taiwan after several days of pause. A US Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace on Wednesday, the US Seventh Fleet said on Thursday. The passage through the waterway separating Taiwan and mainland China illustrated the US’ commitment to “a free and open Indo-Pacific”, Commander Matthew Comer,

Hong Kong’s John Lee pledges to align with nation’s...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to align with national strategies outlined in the country’s latest five-year plan and transform the city’s “new positionings, functions and missions” assigned by Beijing into “tangible outcomes” to drive economic growth. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Thursday that he would lead the local government in fulfilling its primary responsibility to unite society in proactively aligning with the 15th five-year plan, which outlines China’s economic and...

More Hong Kong drivers head to mainland China to...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Hong Kong drivers are increasingly heading to mainland China to replenish their tanks as global oil prices surge, while the city’s consumer watchdog has urged local suppliers to consider what people can afford and adopt prudent sales strategies. Motorists are exploring different ways to cope with rising fuel costs as the conflict in the Middle East pushes up oil prices. Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, governor and honorary life president of the Hong Kong, China Automobile Association, highlighted a sharp...

Hong Kong’s Wealth for Good Summit to highlight AI,...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

As innovations arise from the artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnology sectors, holders of family capital from around the world will convene in Hong Kong to discuss such investment opportunities at the city’s fourth annual Wealth for Good Summit on March 23 and 24. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu said the summit would showcase Hong Kong’s position as a premier hub for family capital seeking long-term growth and multigenerational...

Ant smuggling rises in Kenya as Chinese national...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

A man was arrested with more ⁠than 2,200 live ⁠garden ants in his ⁠luggage at Nairobi’s main airport this week amid a rise in cases of smuggling of the insects in Kenya. Chinese national Zhang Kequn, 27, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta ‌International Airport on Tuesday while he was trying to leave the country, court filings on Thursday showed. Immigration officials flagged a “stop order” on Zhang’s passport after he evaded arrest in Kenya last year. Ant aficionados pay large sums to ⁠maintain...

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip swaps policy for...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee will hold a fan meet-and-greet at this year’s ComplexCon in the city, underscoring the senior government adviser’s enduring online popularity since ending her 17-year tenure in the Legislative Council. Seventy-five-year-old Ip, convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, will join guests including Jennie from K-pop group Blackpink, American rapper Yeat and Korean R&B singer Crush at the two-day event later this month. The...

Impact report for border crossing revamp approved...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Heritage advisers have approved an impact report for the redevelopment of Hong Kong’s Sha Tau Kok border checkpoint despite concerns that construction could affect a nearby temple holding monument status. At a meeting on Thursday, members of the Antiquities Advisory Board gave the green light to the heritage impact assessment for the project and its associated works. The project will involve demolishing the existing control point facility and constructing two major buildings connected by a...

Hong Kong export credit insurer keeps premiums low...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Hong Kong’s export credit insurer is keeping premiums low and expanding support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), even as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raise concerns about risks to global trade. Unlike the typical trade credit insurance model – where insurers raise premiums when geopolitical risks increase – the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (HKECIC) said it had continued offering concessions to exporters to help them weather uncertainty. “In the...

Trump’s tariff investigation ‘bluff’ will not work on...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

The United States’ decision to launch Section 301 investigations into alleged unfair trade practices by China and several other economies – which could allow Washington to reimpose higher tariffs – is a “bluff” designed to give US President Donald Trump some perceived leverage ahead of his expected trip to China, analysts said. But the threat is unlikely to work on Beijing, which has grown used to the president’s “art of the deal” tactics, they added. “Trump’s move before his China trip is...

What China’s OpenClaw divide reveals about local and...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Local governments across China have rushed to ride the OpenClaw AI boom in hopes of spurring economic growth, only for Beijing to step in swiftly to rein in the frenzy. Authorities in Beijing have issued a series of safety warnings that analysts say underscore the divide in priorities between local and central authorities. The rush to adopt the artificial intelligence (AI) software has seen major internet companies offer low-cost or easily accessible versions, while local governments have

American military bleeds US$11.3 billion in first...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

The opening week of the war against Iran cost the United States more than US$11.3 billion, lawmakers were told in a Pentagon briefing, according to a New York Times report underscoring the pace at which the conflict is consuming weapons and resources. The Times, citing unnamed sources familiar with Tuesday’s closed-door briefing, said members of Congress were told that the figure excludes many costs connected with the build-up to the strikes – suggesting the final tally for the first week

Chinese developer Sunshine 100 to oppose Hong Kong...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/12

Sunshine 100 China Holdings, a mainland Chinese developer facing debts amid China’s property sector downturn, said on Thursday that it plans to oppose a winding-up petition filed against it in Hong Kong. HTI Financial Solutions and Haitong International Financial Products filed the winding-up petition against the developer at the High Court of Hong Kong over an unpaid redemption sum of about US$205 million, including accrued interest, due on March 19, 2025, according to a Sunshine 100 filing...

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