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China Business

Middle East turmoil triggers retail-style swings by mainland investors in Hong Kong stocks

Rapid shifts in cross-border flows show even Hong Kong’s most reliable buyers can amplify market turbulence during geopolitical shocks.

The escalating hostilities in the Middle East have prompted onshore Chinese investors trading Hong Kong’s stocks through cross-border Stock Connect programmes to behave more like short-term day traders. Photo: EPA

Politics

South Korea faces ‘inconvenient truth’ of US forces’ role on peninsula

President Lee Jae Myung urges South Korea to boost its own defence amid reports of US military assets being redeployed to the Middle East.

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Members of Korean Peace Solidarity for Sovereignty and Reunification shout slogans and hold banners during a rally against US and South Korean military exercises outside the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong

Hong Kong needs China challenge for ice hockey teams to get better, official says

Vice-president of sport’s world governing body says standards could improve rapidly if city’s players had exposure to better competition.

Aivaz Omorkanov paid a visit to the under-18s tournament being held at Discovery Bay Ice Rink. Photo: Sun Yeung

Europe

At least 6 killed, 5 injured in Switzerland bus fire

Police are treating the blaze as man-made and say it could have been set deliberately.

Fire investigators examine the charred shell of a bus after it caught fire in Kerzers, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Photo: Kontonspolizei Freiburg via EPA

Banking & Finance

Deutsche Bank bets on Hong Kong boom as Asian billionaires look beyond US assets

Hong Kong is becoming a focal point for Asian billionaires seeking to pivot away from US exposure, Deutsche Bank’s private bank says.

Claudio de Sanctis, head of Private Banking at Deutsche Bank. Photo: Sun Yeung
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Entertainment

12 new Hollywood movies to watch in spring 2026, from Toy Story 5 to Michael

The Mandalorian and Grogu, Mortal Kombat II and The Devil Wears Prada 2 join Toy Story 5 and others in our list of exciting coming releases.

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Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, and Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen, in a still from Toy Story 5. The return of Pixar’s flagship franchise is among a slate of Hollywood films coming to Hong Kong cinemas in the next few months of 2026. Photo: Pixar

Opinion

Editorial | Hong Kong has much to gain from aligning with China’s national plan

The bullish reading of Hong Kong’s significance and continued relevance to China’s national development is a confidence booster.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po speaks at the “Redefining Hong Kong 2026 – Budget Edition” conference at the JW Marriott Hotel in Admiralty on March 9. Photo: Dickson Lee

Opinion

Editorial | Hong Kong’s draw as elite sports event host on display at LIV Golf tournament

Besides attracting high-end visitors, the competition’s blend of elite sport and entertainment is the direction the city should be heading in.

Young-han Song of Korean Golf Club hits his shot from the first tee during the second round of LIV Golf tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling on March 6. Photo: LIV Golf

China EVs

Chinese EV maker Nio forecasts surge in deliveries after first quarterly profit

The company’s turnaround highlights resilience in China’s EV market, defying a slowdown that has weighed on most domestic rivals.

Nio has set a delivery guidance of up to 83,000 vehicles for the first quarter of 2026. Photo: Xinhua

China Economy

Why China’s red-hot tech push is leaving some sectors out in the cold

Beijing’s preferences for innovation and emerging industries are affecting businesses’ development paths and reshaping the corporate landscape.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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Food & Drink

Hong Kong’s hot new openings, from Yamamoto Hamburg to Chouchou

Head to Yamamoto Hamburg for Japanese comfort food, Chouchou for French staples with flair, and Kuke Shokudo for Kansai-style oden.

Yamamoto Hamburg’s spicy mentaiko hamburg. Photo: courtesy Yamamoto Hamburg

World Opinion

As I see it | Iran war exposes the risks of being a US ally

Iranian attacks on US partners in the Gulf should make America’s allies in Asia rethink their security ties with Washington.

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Flames rise during a fire caused by debris from an intercepted drone at the oil refinery hub in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on March 4. Photo: EPA

Diplomacy

Mainland Chinese see Taiwan positively, won’t retreat from US trade war: survey

China Pulse polling study gives rare window into views of ordinary people on mainland, where opinions are often restricted or even banned.

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Tourists strike a pose next to a giant Ultraman inflatable displayed at Kaohsiung Wonderland during the Lunar New Year holidays in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in February. Photo: I-Hwa Cheng / AFP

Middle East

Will Trump ‘Taco’ on Iran? Analysts say he’s looking for a way out

High oil prices and voter anger could be prompting the US president’s comments that the war could end soon.

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A visitor walks past a cartoon of Donald Trump holding a man wrapped in a taco at an exhibition at the Caricature Museum in Mexico City in November 2016. Photo: AP

Middle East

WHO warns of toxic ‘black rain’ in Iran after strikes on oil facilities

There have been reports of oil-laden rain, and a ‘massive’ amount of hydrocarbons and other compounds have been released into the air.

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An explosion erupts following strikes near Azadi Tower in Tehran on Saturday. Photo: AFP
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Diplomacy

Trump says Iranian mining ships destroyed in Strait of Hormuz as war rages on

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth pledged ‘most intense day of strikes’ yet, as tensions over critical Strait of Hormuz shipping lane escalate.

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US President Donald Trump speaks to the media as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth listens while travelling aboard Air Force One on Saturday, March 7. Photo: AP

United States & Canada

Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams condemns racist, homophobic fan comments

The Canadian show about a romance between two male hockey players has become a global phenomenon but also stirred an online frenzy.

Hudson Williams poses on the red carpet at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California, in January. Photo: Reuters

United States & Canada

Shots fired at US consulate in Toronto, Canada, premier hints at Iran war link

No one was injured, but security will be boosted at American and Israeli embassies and consulates, police say.

A law enforcement officer works outside the US consulate after shots were fired in Toronto on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Russia & Central Asia

Russia, Ukraine both claim frontline success while US-led talks on hold

Washington is now focusing on the Iran war, drawing the spotlight from Ukraine’s four-year fight to see off Russia’s bigger army.

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Rescuers stand near bodies retrieved from the site of a strike on a residential building in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Diplomacy

Exclusive | Could China’s rare earth supplies dictate how long US strikes on Iran go on?

The American military’s dependence on Chinese sources gives Beijing leverage in the lead-up to Trump’s trip, sources say.

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China accounted for 71 per cent of US rare earth element imports from 2021 to 2024, according to the US Geological Survey. Photo: Reuters
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Tech

Memory price hikes ‘the new normal’ as AI fuels storage demand, Seagate says

Explosive growth in AI workloads is forcing the storage industry to pack more data onto disks to meet demand from cloud giants.

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The logo of data-storage giant Seagate, which says the artificial intelligence boom is driving surging demand for storage capacity. Photo: Getty Images

Tech Trends

China issues second warning on OpenClaw risks amid adoption frenzy

Cybersecurity agency cautions that improper installation and use of the AI agent carry severe security and data risks.

OpenClaw is said to be vulnerable to threats including “prompt injection”, in which attackers embed hidden malicious instructions in web pages. Photo: Shutterstock

Europe

EU eyes nuclear energy again as oil prices soar amid Iran war

It was ‘a mistake’ to turn away from ‘a reliable, affordable source of low-emission power’, says EU chief, amid new funding - and protesters.

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A motorist fills up his car at a petrol station in France on Monday. Photo: AFP

Transport

Councillors oppose ferry fare rises for Hong Kong’s outlying island routes

Members of Islands District Council also raise concerns that another fare increase could be sought in response to soaring fuel prices.

Passengers disembark from a ferry arriving at Central. Photo: Sun Yeung

Racing

SCMP Best Bets: The Heir can be crowned at Happy Valley

SCMP Best Bets: The Heir can be crowned at Happy Valley
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Diplomacy

From ‘love and hate’ to nationalism, can Xi and Trump rebalance ties?

Chinese scholars say the US-China relationship has changed, and there’s a chance for the two powers to steer away from confrontation.

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US President Donald Trump is expected to visit Beijing and meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the end of the month. Photo: TNS

Football

Women’s Asian Cup: Japan thrash Vietnam to ease into last 8, Chinese Taipei also in

Chinese Taipei to face China in quarter-finals after victory over India, Japan to take on Philippines.

Riko Ueki (centre) scores Japan’s first goal against Vietnam in their Women’s Asian Cup clash in Perth. Photo: AFP

Diplomacy

Why China sees stability in hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise to lead Iran

Continuity over change seen in cleric whom analysts anticipate could double down on policies against the US and Israel.

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A man holds a portrait of Mojtaba Khamenei following his appointment as Iran’s supreme leader by the country’s Assembly of Experts. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong Economy

Sour note for fans after Taiwanese rock band Mayday switches Hong Kong date

Veteran rockers’ show originally scheduled for March 24 cancelled, with new concert added on March 29.

Mayday putting on a show at Kai Tak Stadium last year. Photo: Handout

Society

Tai Po fire: Hong Kong Red Cross raises HK$530 million for affected residents

Charity says it has ended donation drive and vows no more than 5 per cent of funds will go towards administrative fees.

Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po after the deadly blaze. Photo: Eugene Lee