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A currency dealer walks past a screen showing South Korea’s KOSPI and the Korean won/US dollar exchange rate in a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul on Monday. Photo: AFP

Markets brace for rate hikes as Iran war and US$100 oil stoke tightening fears

The European Central Bank has become more hawkish, reverting to wording that analysts say often precedes interest-rate increases.

Gold slides as hawkish Fed and strong US dollar override geopolitical fears

Hong Kong stock market
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China Economy

China developing first tourist submersible for trips 1,000 metres under the sea

The Chinese prototype would enter commercial operation offering adventure-seeking holidaymakers spectacular deep-sea experiences by 2030.

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Science

Chinese surgery robot outperforms humans, cuts brain imaging time by 29%

World’s first approved cerebrovascular robot could reduce harmful radiation exposure to doctors while shaving minutes off procedure times.

Politics

Withholding device passwords punishable under tightened national security rules

Hong Kong must maintain high degree of vigilance given ‘complex and volatile geopolitical situation’, authorities say.

Open Questions
Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Trump-Xi summits: an inside view with US ex-diplomat William Klein

Middle East

Iran awaits Trump threat to ‘obliterate’ power plants, readies response

Iran has threatened to ‘completely’ close the Strait of Hormuz and hit the region’s infrastructure after Trump’s ultimatum.

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A USAF B-1 bomber at RAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire, Britain. Photo: Reuters
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Science

Turning coal to medicines: Chinese scientists bring a 160-year-old dream to life

Study cracks a puzzle that has baffled scientists and will reshape modern medicine production as the world reels from a global oil shortage.

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Health & Environment

South Korea’s hurry-hurry spirit keeps killing its factory workers

Nine of the 14 people killed in Friday’s factory fire in Daejeon died in a room that did not officially exist.

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Tech

Huawei’s commitment to global connectivity bridges digital divide

Tech company’s voice and data solutions serve 170 million people in remote areas in over 80 countries, Huawei Tech Cares Forum reveals.

In partnership with:
Huawei
Yang Chaobin, CEO of Huawei’s ICT Business Group, reveals the firm’s digital connectivity solutions have benefited 170 million people in remote areas in more than 80 countries at this month’s Huawei Tech Cares Forum in Barcelona.

World

Trump’s change of plans, Takaichi mocked in China: 5 weekend reads

From why Trump delayed his meeting with Xi to a pop culture festival in Hong Kong, here are five stories you may have missed over the weekend.

President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump were expected to meet again at the end of this month but the trip has been delayed. Photo: TNS

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong to raise postage rates from April 13 amid surging oil prices

Postage for local letters to go up by 9 per cent to HK$2.40, while increases for 90 per cent of airmail will be within HK$0.50.

Commodities

China’s Zijin Mining clinches US$2.6b Chifeng Gold takeover in expansion drive

The acquisition boosts Zijin’s reserves amid resource nationalism, giving it control of Chifeng’s assets in Asia and Africa.

Big Tech

What is ‘tokenomics’ and how would China gain the edge in an AI era?

As tokens are positioned as the AI era’s commodity, China’s energy scale and low-cost models could give it a structural edge.

Jensen Huang at Nvidia’s annual GTC conference in San Jose, California, on March 17. Photo: AFP

Military

Why is China’s ASN-301 suicide drone more deadly than its Iranian counterpart?

In a conflict over Taiwan or western Pacific, Beijing may overwhelm air defences through sheer numbers in a war of economic attrition.

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China’s ASN-301, anti-radiation loitering munition, which shares the Iranian Shahed-136’s aerodynamic delta-wing design. Photo: Handout

Lifestyle & Culture

Should wives always obey? Most in Malaysia and Indonesia say yes

A new study also shows 64 per cent of respondents in Singapore agree that efforts to give women equal rights with men ‘have gone far enough’.

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United States & Canada

Air Canada Express jet hits vehicle at New York’s LaGuardia airport

Images showed the Air Canada plane tilted on its tail with the nose of the aircraft ripped off.

World

‘Flashing red’: UN alarmed as heat trapped by Earth hits record high

WMO confirms 2015–2025 as the hottest decade on record, as the UN chief warns of a state of emergency.

A man shades himself from the searing sun in Melbourne, Australia in January. Photo: EPA

Health & Wellness

Can poor sleep lead to dementia? What you need to know about the links

Studies link poor-quality sleep to dementia types like Alzheimer’s disease, but experts explain why the picture might be more complex.

A recent study found that about 13 per cent of dementia cases may have roots in insomnia, and that poor sleep may be as significant a dementia risk factor as hearing loss and hypertension. Photo: Shutterstock

East Asia

Most Japanese oppose helping Trump fight his war on Iran, polls show

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says she has explained to Trump that there are limits to what Japan can do due to legal constraints.

East Asia

North Korea reappoints Kim Jong-un as supreme leader

State media said the decision to re-elect Kim to the ‘top post’ reflected ‘the unanimous will and desire of all the Korean people’.

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OPINION
Betty Fung

Opinion | To realise Hong Kong’s cultural potential, a global vision is essential

Betty Fung
Letters

Letters | How Hong Kong can prepare to bring its transport blueprint to life

Letters
Cui Jianchun

Opinion | As China charts a new course, Hong Kong writes its next chapter

Cui Jianchun
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Legco could refer to mainland experience in boosting efficiency

SCMP Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Editorial | Struggling Hong Kong schools should heed call to plan ahead

SCMP Editorial
Harry’s View | 23 Mar 2026
March 23, 2026
MORE COMMENT
LATEST

Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong’s Art March celebrations press on amid Middle East conflict disruptions

Culture

In pictures: Hong Kong’s public art sculptures, from the 1970s to today

Politics

Withholding device passwords punishable under tightened national security rules

Science

Turning coal to medicines: Chinese scientists bring a 160-year-old dream to life

World

Trump’s change of plans, Takaichi mocked in China: 5 weekend reads

Commodities

China’s Zijin Mining clinches US$2.6b Chifeng Gold takeover in expansion drive

MORE LATEST NEWS
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SCMP Series
AI's impact on Hong Kong
‘Two sessions’: China’s economic agenda
China Inc. goes global
Challenges and pathways in the South China Sea
Illustration: Henry Wong
SCMP SeriesAI's impact on Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s bid to win in AI: where are the road map and the guardrails?

Hong Kong’s AI revolution accelerates as policy funds skills training while industries and educators rush to integrate the shift.

Exclusive | Hong Kong job openings hit 6-year low in 69% of sectors amid AI’s ascent

Is AI displacing young people for entry-level jobs?

Open Questions series

Military

Open Questions | Why Iran war may drive East Asia nuclear race, hit China in Mideast: Zhao Tong

Carnegie nuclear policy expert says law of the jungle signalled by US actions could spur more countries to pursue nuclear weapons.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Diplomacy

Open Questions | Strikes on Iran not the biggest threat to China’s belt and road goals: Pan Guang

Mainland academic assesses the risks to Chinese investment and diplomacy in the region and what it means for the other main players.

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Global Economy

Open Questions | Top shipbuilding voice Li Yanqing rebukes Washington’s ‘China threat’ narrative

China’s national shipbuilding association official calls US port fees ‘absurd’ and politically motivated, while asserting China’s market lead is solid despite global fluctuations.

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Diplomacy

Open Questions | Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
China Future Tech
China Future Tech
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Big Tech

Nvidia’s Huang calls China ‘formidable’ in robotics as firm bets on physical AI

China’s microelectronics, motors, rare earth and magnets – which are foundational to robotics – are the world’s best, says Huang.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the company’s global AI conference in San Jose, California, March 17, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Tech

OpenClaw, government support fuel rise of 1-person companies in China

Guangdong is the first provincial-level government to roll out comprehensive action plans to support AI-powered OPCs.

Banking & Finance

China’s Unitree Robotics rides humanoid tide as it targets US$610m IPO

Prospectus reveals that company’s revenue jumped 335 per cent last year, while net profit surged nearly eight times.

Tech

Preview of Alibaba’s top AI model leads Chinese peers, lags US rivals

Qwen3.5-Max-Preview enters a global ranking at 15th, behind models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.

A woman walks past the Alibaba logo on its building in Xuhui Binjiang Park, also known as AI Park, in Shanghai, on March 19, 2026. Photo: EPA

China Economy

AI, flying cars drive economic transition in China’s Kunshan

City at heart of Yangtze River Delta region sees new tech dreams emerge as old ones based on mass production of electronics fade.

illustration by Lau Ka-kuen

Military

How long will US-Israel war on Iran last? Chinese analysts offer clues

Iran’s drones gaining edge as opponents burn through costly missiles, analysts note, as one labels the war a ‘serious mistake’ by US.

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Diplomacy

Why Beijing has struggled to rally Asia against Japan over PM’s Taiwan remarks

Many in the region harbour security concerns similar to Tokyo’s and prefer to stay neutral between the Asian heavyweights, analysts say.

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Diplomacy

Why Japan thinks China’s growing cultural clout is something it needs to counter

The global success of Chinese video games and animation – as well as the appeal of traditional culture – has triggered a reaction in Tokyo.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
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