PODCAST

News - South China Morning Post

All the latest breaking news from Hong Kong, China and around the world

All Episodes

Firefighter killed in Tai Po blaze may have entered...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

A firefighter killed in Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades may have entered the wrong building amid the initial chaos at the scene and fallen from a height, the first day of a public hearing into the inferno has heard. More details surrounding the death of 37-year-old Ho Wai-ho, among the first batch of firefighters sent to tackle the blaze, emerged as the independent committee set up by the government to investigate the fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po held its

CK Hutchison vows to pursue ‘all legal remedies’ over...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison has said it will pursue “all available legal remedies” through both national and international proceedings to resolve a dispute over its two Panama Canal ports seized by authorities in February. Amid the widening conflict in the Middle East which could further complicate its multibillion-dollar global ports sale, the company downplayed the possible impact of a Strait of Hormuz blockade on its business, saying its diversified network could even benefit from...

‘Severely damaged’: how the US-Israel war on Iran is...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

For decades, the US security umbrella was the bedrock underpinning the Gulf states’ prosperity and stability. Today, Iranian missiles and drones have paralysed the Strait of Hormuz and hit civilian airports, ports, hotels and refineries across every Gulf country, despite thousands of American troops and advanced interceptors on the ground. The armed conflict has forced the region to confront a stark new reality. A Chinese scholar argued that the US-Israel war on Iran and ensuing Hormuz crisis...

2 men charged with spying for Iran on UK Jewish targets

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Two men appeared in a London court on Thursday accused of being tasked by Iran to carry out hostile surveillance on the Israeli embassy, Britain’s oldest synagogue and other Jewish targets. Nematollah Shahsavani, 40, a dual Iranian-British national, and Alireza Farasati, an Iranian national, 22, are accused of being involved in gathering information and undertaking reconnaissance of targets given to them by Iranian spy services over five weeks last summer. As such, the alleged activities...

Hong Kong customs arrests 5 people, seizes HK$2.2...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested five people and seized 2,500 pairs of suspected counterfeit eyewear worth about HK$2.2 million (US$280,680) in a citywide operation. Officers from the Customs and Excise Department carried out the special enforcement action on Tuesday and Wednesday, targeting the sale of counterfeit goods. Officers raided five retail shops in Cheung Sha Wan, Kwai Shing, Tsuen Wan and Fanling, as well as a supplier in Kwun Tong, seizing the items with the assistance of...

China’s central bank pledges stability in capital...

News - South China Morning Post ·

2026/03/19

China’s central bank named the continued stability of the country’s capital markets as a priority for 2026, a goal taking on greater significance as global markets are tested by the reverberations of the escalating US-Israel war on Iran. The People’s Bank of China designated the stability of stock, bond and foreign exchange markets as one of its “major tasks” for the year, according to a readout from a high-level meeting hosted by bank governor Pan Gongsheng on Wednesday. The bank also vowed

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...

23,340 results