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Business

New World pulls back on Causeway Bay acquisition amid uneven recovery

Developer steps back from consolidating three commercial sites as high costs and patchy demand weigh on redevelopment decisions.

No 76 Percival Street in Causeway Bay. Photo: Antony Dickson

Entertainment

Why fierce mothers and violent monsters star in Joe Hsieh’s animations

Taiwanese director Hsieh reflects on the strength of women, preferring hand-drawn animation over AI, and using violence in film.

A still from Praying Mantis (2025), an animated short film co-directed by Taiwanese director Joe Hsieh and Hong Kong art-house auteur Yonfan.

Transport

40,000 taxi drivers sign up for e-payment systems as new rules come into force

Widespread coverage is good news ahead of coming holiday for mainland visitors who have solely been using e-wallets for years.

Hong Kong mandated that taxi drivers provide at least two digital payment options from April 1. Photo: Jelly Tse

Tech Trends

OpenClaw deepens China footprint through native Tencent, ByteDance integrations

Tencent is actively seeking cooperation with OpenClaw as it moves to capitalise on the agent’s popularity to win over domestic users.

This photo taken on March 11, 2026 shows a mobile phone screen with the AI agent OpenClaw. Photo: Xinhua

Military

PLA upgrades ageing tanks with protection system for potential Taiwan operation

Type 96A main battle tanks from Eastern Theatre Command now have APS to counter drones and anti-tank missiles, according to state media.

Type 96A main battle tanks equipped with the GL-6 active protection system were seen in video footage released by state media on Sunday. Photo: Weibo/China Youth Daily
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Society

Hong Kong to impose 2‑tier penalty for carrying vapes in public from April 30

People carrying small number of e-cigarettes face HK$3,000 penalty, those with larger quantities risk maximum fine of HK$50,000 and up to six months in jail.

Officers will conduct enforcement in plain clothes against the use of e-cigarettes in public. Photo: Nora Tam

Lifestyle & Culture

Bali rocked by spate of murder cases – is Indonesian island more dangerous now?

The cases allegedly involving foreign suspects have spurred concerns that gang disputes have moved from other countries to the island.

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Igor Komarov, a 28-year-old Ukrainian, was kidnapped and later found dead in a suspected murder in Bali in February. Photo: YouTube

China Business

China EV makers surge back in March as subsidies and financing spur demand

Carmakers report strong month-on-month gains as policy support and new financing schemes lift buyer sentiment.

The EV rebound has been underpinned by renewed policy support at the local level. Photo: AFP

Celebrities

Meet Logan Marshall-Green, who plays Cal on Yellowstone spin-off Marshals

Before working with Taylor Sheridan, Marshall-Green appeared on Law & order, The O.C. and Sex and the City spin-off And Just Like That … – but theatre is his first love.

Logan Marshall-Green in a scene from Marshals. Photo: @marshalscbs/Instagram

Trending in China

China youth flock to TCM bars for ‘prescription cocktails’ amid ‘punk wellness’ trend

Younger generation embrace notion of ‘wrecking yourself while saving yourself’ by drinking concoctions of booze and herbs.

Young Chinese consumers are flocking to Traditional Chinese Medicine bars where they can enjoy so-called prescription cocktails reflecting the rise of a “punk wellness” lifestyle. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote
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Racing

Paradise bound for Champions Mile, while Sosie is confirmed for QE II Cup

The three winners of this year’s Classic Series are in line for a rematch on Hong Kong’s second-biggest race day.

Vincent Ho guides Little Paradise to victory in the Classic Mile. Photos: Kenneth Chan

Motorsport

China motorcycle brand ZXMOTO enjoys surge in popularity after historic win

The on-track success translated into immediate commercial gains and generated online buzz for the company and its founder, Zhang Xue.

Frenchman Valentin Debise (#53) powered his ZXMOTO 820RR-RS to win both races in the WorldSSP class in Portugal. Photo: Getty Images

Entertainment

‘Like a TikTok trend’: how micro dramas leave big studios in their dust

The head of a Chinese micro drama company shares how studios behind short-form shows for phones use data to keep viewers hooked.

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Production of drama filmed in US. Photo: COL Group International

Diplomacy

Why China and Vietnam are shifting from confrontation to calm in South China Sea

Disagreements continue, but the two sides are showing notable restraint in contrast with Beijing’s fierce exchanges with Manila.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son, in Hanoi on March 17. They co-chaired a meeting on bilateral cooperation. Photo: Xinhua

US

Trump sends crude surging as Iran speech fails to allay war concerns

Oil prices shot up and stocks fell as US President Donald Trump failed to set a clear end date for the war on Iran during his address to the nation.

Photo: AFP
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Middle East

Surging ‘Jewish terrorism’ in West Bank condemned but goes unpunished

Tel Aviv-based INSS reports an increase in settler attacks since the start of the Iran war, along with a rise in ‘the severity of the acts’.

A Palestinian boy looks at a burnt vehicle following a reported attack by Israeli settlers in Jalud village, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Photo: AFP

SCMP Originals

Video | Can China overtake Nasa in the race to the moon?

As Artemis II heads for lunar orbit, Nasa’s moon landing delays have given Beijing a window to close the gap.

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Society

Discovery Bay resident files ombudsman complaint over plan for full taxi access

Petition to Transport Department signed by 1,700 calls for proper public consultation on plan to allow unrestricted taxi access in seaside neighbourhood.

Dana Winograd (left) and fellow Discovery Bay resident Kate Wade pose with the petition at Mong Kok Government Offices. Photo: Jelly Tse

People

Malaysian minister steps in with aid for family of drink-driving victim

Amirul Hafiz Omar was on his way to buy his son a mathematics book when a car allegedly driven at high speed rammed his motorcycle.

Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke offers condolences and personal financial aid to the family of Amirul Hafiz Omar, who was killed in a drink-driving accident. Photo: Handout

Asia Opinion

Macroscope | Asian central banks largely powerless in face of Iran war energy shock

Central banks cannot pump oil into the global economy in the same way they can flood the financial system with liquidity.

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Workers change the price of fuel at a petrol station in Manila on March 17. Photo: AFP
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Hong Kong

Gallery | In pictures: HKwalls Street Art Festival takes over Central, Western districts

Hardthrirteen’s mural art at 23 Square Street as part of the 11th HKwalls Street Art Festival, April 1, 2026. Photo: Eugene Lee

China Economy

‘False proposition’: state media hits ‘China shock’ as cover for Western anxiety

The state-run Economic Daily says the real problem with the global economy is not China’s strong exports, but rising protectionism.

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Large numbers of cars and containers are stacked at a port waiting for export in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. Photo: AFP

Russia & Central Asia

Russia is luring students with large financial packages to join drone units

Students are being offered attractive packages to sign up, with the prospect of ending their contracts after one year.

A new billboard recruitment campaign which shows a young drone operator ​with glowing eyes in hi-tech glasses. Photo: EPA

China Economy

Open Questions | Iran war to test China’s self-reliance, Goldman Sachs economist says

Andrew Tilton, Goldman’s chief Asia-Pacific economist, on Iran conflict’s impacts, why exports continue to drive China’s growth and an end to its housing slump.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Tech

Countdown starts for Chinese rocket maker CAS Space’s Shanghai listing

China’s commercial rocket champion plans to raise US$600 million on the Star Market after its listing application is accepted.

CAS Space’s Lijian-2 Y1 rocket with three satellites onboard blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China, on March 30, 2026. Photo: Xinhua
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Football

Top ticket price for World Cup final up from US$8,680 to US$10,990 as sales reopen

The global tournament uses dynamic pricing for ticket sales, and its ticketing site often took hours to enter as latest sales phase opened.

US President Donald Trump and Fifa boss Gianni Infantino holding a ticket to the World Cup final at the White House last August. Photo: EPA

Asia

Video | Macron and Takaichi do the ‘Kamehameha’

The two leaders struck a ‘Kamehameha’ pose from the popular Dragon Ball anime series.

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Special Reports

How Hong Kong schools are transforming to mirror university-style spaces

A wave of new and refurbished international school campuses is aiming to help students prepare for seamless tertiary transitions.

Students are encouraged to acquire skills they will need beyond school. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Racing

Purton gears up for Australian Group Ones ahead of Ka Ying Rising on Monday

The champion jockey pairs up with Giga Kick and Evaporate at Randwick before the world’s best sprinter returns at Sha Tin.

Ka Ying Rising and Zac Purton. Photos: Kenneth Chan

History of Hong Kong’s triads, new midlife career trend: 5 Lifestyle highlights

From tracing origins of Hong Kong’s triads to career pivots for midlife professionals, here are five stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

Suspected members of triad societies are guarded by officers in Tung Tau Estate, Kowloon, in 1973. Hong Kong’s triads have evolved from secret societies into global criminal networks. Photo: SCMP