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Middle East

Iran attacks Kuwait, Israel after Trump sets deadline for deal

Kuwait and Israel say their air defences are responding to the latest attacks from Iran.

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Smoke rises at Kuwait’s international airport after a reported Iranian drone strike on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Business

Japanese chains lose ground in north China as competition and deflation bite

Store closures in Beijing and Tianjin highlight mounting pressure from domestic rivals amid shifting consumer habits.

Analysts say Japanese retailers must adapt more quickly to China’s evolving retail landscape. Photo: Shutterstock

Health & Environment

Observatory warns of thundery showers amid Ching Ming Festival in Hong Kong

‘Members of the public should be aware of the change in weather,’ forecaster says.

The Observatory has said that showers will be heavier locally in some areas. Photo: Karma Lo

Lifestyle & Culture

Lute awakening: traditional Malaysian strings have many players but few makers

While young musicians are increasingly drawn to the old instruments, few want to take up the tedious task of crafting them.

An indigenous musician plays a “sape” in front a traditional longhouse in Sarawak. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | How China is transforming Hong Kong into a strategic hub

The city is moving beyond its traditional role to drive the nation’s financial and innovation future.

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Hong Kong’s skyline, viewed from Victoria Peak on March 3. Photo: Eugene Lee
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Education

Closing Hong Kong schools with low numbers hurts special education kids: parents

Students with special educational needs do better in smaller classes and in schools that look beyond academic grades, parents say.

A young boy works on his Chinese homework. Fifteen Hong Kong primary schools are facing closure due to low enrolment numbers. Photo: Getty Images

Eat Drink Asia

Video | Why food in Okinawa is nothing like the rest of Japan

Shaped by Japan, China, the US and the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom, Okinawan cuisine has its own distinct identity.

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Science

Lead scientist reveals true purpose of China’s ultra-large underwater drone

Huge size of China’s unmanned submersibles has US defence experts worried Beijing may attack vulnerable targets including LA and Seattle.

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China’s military parade last year showcased two unmanned submersibles which approached 20 metres in length and raised concerns among US defence experts. Photo: AP

Trending in China

Outrage as China traveller at pet-friendly hotel gets text offering dog meat eateries

‘Deeply offensive’ pre-visit message to tourist with puppy leads to cancellation of booking; turns spotlight on animal protection laws.

A traveller in China who stayed at a pet-friendly hotel was shocked to receive a text recommending places where she could eat dog meat. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/RedNote

Other Sport

Hong Kong win Women’s World Championship ice hockey event with match to spare

Team’s win secures them second promotion in three years, and comes on the heels of men’s under-18 side finishing with silver last month.

Hong Kong’s 3-1 win over Ukraine on Friday was their fourth win in as many matches. Photo: Hong Kong, China Ice Hockey Association
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Economics

Thailand’s fishing industry fights for survival as Iran war hits fuel costs

Half of the fleet is already docked as the fishing association warns the whole sector may ‘collapse like dominoes’.

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A man on a truck brings the ice that keeps the catch fresh. Photo: Aidan Jones

Celebrities

Meet Tatanka Means, who plays Miles Kittle in Yellowstone spin-off Marshals

Taylor Sheridan’s latest neo-Western series is already climbing Paramount+ charts – here’s what to know about Tatanka Means, who’s a regular on the show.

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Tatanka Means plays Miles in Taylor Sheridan’s Marshals. Photos: @tatankameans/Instagram

United States & Canada

Bomb allegedly left at US base by Alen Zheng was built inside 2 Pepsi bottles

The revelation of the bomb’s make-up comes amid questions of how it sat outside the military installation for six days without being found.

Drivers pass through a security checkpoint at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, in March. Photo: TNS

Opinion

Editorial | Hong Kong’s high-value tourism pivot makes sense for the city

If Hong Kong is to strengthen its credentials as an international city, it must appeal to visitors from different countries and cultures.

The Hong Kong skyline, as viewed from Tsim Sha Tsui on March 23. Under its new strategy, Hong Kong will allocate more of its budget to attracting foreign visitors. Photo: Eugene Lee

Health & Wellness

Hate jet lag? How fliers are using apps to beat the common travel trouble

Flying across time zones disrupts your circadian rhythm, which affects functioning and even long-term health. But apps could help.

The Timeshifter app focuses on resetting the circadian rhythm using light and dark scenarios and calculates a personal schedule based on your itinerary and whether you are a “night owl” or “early bird”. It is one of many apps of the market designed to help people get over jet lag. Photo: timeshifter.com
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Opinion

Editorial | China’s sports stars show bravery in the face of toxic fan culture

Olympic champion Quan Hongchan is just the latest Chinese star to detail being on the receiving end of abuse from fans.

Quan Hongchan celebrates winning gold in the women’s 10m platform at the Paris Olympics on August 6, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Politics

What next for the struggling rural mothers in China who helped to build AI?

Data-labelling workshops once hailed as a solution in the country’s poverty alleviation campaign face a painful reckoning.

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Illustration: Brian Wang

Celebrities

Meet 20-year-old Olivier Rioux, the tallest basketball player in the world

The Canadian-born Florida Gators basketball player stands at a staggering 236cm – taller than Gheorghe Mureşan, Manute Bol and Sun Mingming.

Olivier Rioux is entering the transfer portal after debuting with the Florida Gators in 2025. Photo: @olivier.rioux/Instagram

Trends

Polo shirt reboot: how Ralph Lauren and Chanel are redefining preppy

Gigi Hadid’s Guest in Residence has both short- and long-sleeved polos, while Miuccia Prada’s takes have ranged from subversive to buttoned-up.

Taylor Swift wearing a Thom Browne polo shirt in New York last November. Photo: Star Max/GC Images

World Opinion

Opinion | China’s growing North Africa presence a structural challenge for Europe

Cooperate or hedge? Growing Chinese energy, infrastructure and industrial investments require a sustained, coordinated European response.

Engineers walk next to solar panels at the Benban Solar Park, one of the world’s largest solar power plant in the world, in Aswan, Egypt, on October 19, 2022. Photo: AP
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Food & Drink

Forced to stop selling stinky tofu, this Taiwanese restaurant fought back

The owner of Southern California’s Golden Leaf reveals how a neighbour’s vendetta has seen the popular street food dropped from his menu.

A plate of stinky tofu. The street food popular in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan is prized for its distinct, potent stench - but for some, the smell is simply too much. Photo: Shutterstock

Middle East

US commits nearly all of stealthy long-range missiles to Iran war

JASSM-ER cruise missiles are to be pulled from Pacific stockpiles, reducing supplies of systems meant for more capable foes like China.

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A JASSM-ER is fired from a US Air Force F-16 over the Gulf of Mexico in September 2018. Photo: US Air Force

Middle East

US arrests niece and grandniece of slain Iran general Qassem Soleimani

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, who were allegedly living a ‘lavish lifestyle’ in Los Angeles, have had their green cards revoked.

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Iranian mourners gather during the final stage of funeral processions for slain top general Qasem Soleimani in his hometown Kerman in January 2020. Photo: AFP

China

Sun and Wang battle into World Cup semi-finals on day of upsets in Macau

World No 1s Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin fight back to keep China’s hopes of double title triumph alive.

Wang Chuqin celebrates beating Darko Jorgic in the quarter-finals of the ITTF World Cup in Macau. Photo: Xinhua

Opinion

My Take | Lunar mission gives a fresh perspective on a troubled world

The journey of Artemis II coincides with Easter and its message of peace that can resonate with all of us.

A spectacular photo of Earth taken by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman through the capsule window. Photo: Handout
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Society

Student in contentious Hong Kong documentary hits out at Italian screening plan

Ah Ling, who featured in award-winning To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self, says no one consulted her about screening at film festival.

A still from Mabel Cheung documentary “To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self”, which followed six girls over a decade. Photo: Handout

Russia & Central Asia

Ukraine and Russia trade fatal strikes as Zelensky travels to Turkey

The war began in February 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine.

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Firefighters work at a market hit by a Russian drone strike in Nikopol, Ukraine, on Saturday. Photo: Handout via Reuters

United States & Canada

Trump gives Iran 48 hours to make deal, as US hunts for missing airman

Iran’s General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi responded by calling the US president’s threat a ‘helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action’.

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US President Donald Trump speaks from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday. Photo: TNS

Diplomacy

Chinese surveillance rolled out in Africa: ZTE, Hikvision, Huawei at the helm

China’s ‘safe city’ project can counter terrorism and curb crime but critics worry it may repress political opposition and peaceful protests.

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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, stands out as the largest market for Chinese surveillance equipment. Under the “safe city” project, China provides surveillance technologies and credit lines that governments use to monitor public spaces and curb crime. Photo: Getty

Africa

‘Restrict everything’: Senegal curbs ministers’ foreign trips amid Iran war

PM says budgets in one of the world’s poorest nations were based on an oil price of US$62 a barrel. However, that has almost doubled.

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Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. File photo: AFP