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US military tracks 23 Chinese port projects in Latin America, general tells Congress The US military is monitoring 23 Chinese port projects and 12 space-enabling facilities across Latin America and considers every one of them “a potential dual-use asset” that could support Chinese military operations, the top US commander for South America told Congress on Tuesday. General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), made the disclosure during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on US military posture in the western hemisphere. Asked by Lance Gooden, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346940/us…

US House panel subpoenas Pam Bondi to testify in Epstein investigation A US congressional committee said ⁠on Tuesday it has ⁠issued a subpoena to Attorney General ⁠Pam Bondi to testify behind closed doors in its probe of the late convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Under the subpoena, Bondi would give a sworn deposition to the House of Representatives Oversight Committee on ‌April 14. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bondi faces accusations that the Justice Department has concealed the names of powerful associates of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/arti…

Trump confirms delay of Beijing meeting with Xi amid Iran conflict US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his planned trip to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing will be delayed by “five or six weeks,” as the US-Israel war against Iran continues. “We’re working with China. They were fine with it … I look forward to seeing President Xi. He looks forward to seeing me, I think,” Trump told reporters at the White House. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not confirm Trump’s timeline and said “China and the US remain in communication on President... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3346937/trump-confir…

Fire at US embassy in Baghdad as security official reports drone and rocket strikes Several loud explosions were heard on Tuesday evening in Iraq’s capital Baghdad, Agence France-Presse journalists reported, with a security official reporting a drone and rocket attack on the US embassy. In a restaurant in the city, where diners did not react to the initial sounds of the blasts, a witness said he saw detonations caused by the embassy’s air defences intercepting projectiles. Another witness saw a fire on the edge of the embassy grounds from her balcony, with the blaze also... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/33469…

Northern Ireland’s Gerry Adams tells bombings trial he was never in IRA Gerry Adams, one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent political figures, told London’s High Court on Tuesday he had never been a member of the paramilitary Irish Republican Army but said he would not distance himself from the group. The ex-leader of Sinn Fein, formerly the IRA’s political wing ‌and now the largest party in the Northern Irish Assembly, became the best-known face of the movement seeking to end British rule in Northern Ireland. He later reinvented himself as a peacemaker after... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346935/no…

Why US warships’ pit stop in Malaysia is raising eyebrows The apparent docking of two light US combat ships in Penang over the weekend has raised eyebrows among Malaysian government critics regarding the country’s position on the US-Israel war on Iran, and questions over the deployment of de-mining vessels thousands of miles from the conflict zone. The USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara were seen on Sunday at the North Butterworth Container Terminal, according to social media images and the Financial Times, which cited a US Fifth Fleet spokesperson... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346932/w…

Measures to streamline Northern Metropolis land-use procedures unveiled Hong Kong authorities have proposed designated laws to streamline procedures for changing land use in the Northern Metropolis megaproject, cutting the process from typically nine months to just two. Unveiled by the Development Bureau on Tuesday, the proposed designated legislation comprises six main subsidiary laws designed to remove bottlenecks in the massive scheme near the border with mainland China. They include the establishment of statutory firms and measures to speed up land resumption... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/33469…

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park euthanises 17-year-old red panda Rou Rou Hong Kong’s Ocean Park has euthanised red panda Rou Rou after the 17-year-old endangered animal experienced degenerative joint problems and stopped responding to palliative care. Ocean Park said on Tuesday that its animal care and veterinary teams had provided Rou Rou with comprehensive care and monitored her geriatric conditions for five years, but could not prevent age-related ailments, including degenerative joint issues. The park added that Rou Rou showed “increasing signs of discomfort” in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/33468…

China targets hydrogen push as Strait of Hormuz crisis jolts energy markets Beijing is launching a pilot programme to expand industrial use of hydrogen energy, at a time when war in the Middle East is exposing the risks of global reliance on fossil fuels. Iran’s effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid its war with the United States and Israel – now in its third week – has disrupted oil and gas supplies, prompting some nations to re-examine their energy mix, with renewables emerging as a potential hedge against volatility. In a Monday notice, the Ministry of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/334685…

Taiwan singer ignites debate by showing popular ‘vacuum belly’ technique to lose weight A Taiwanese singer has sparked controversy for performing a “vacuum belly” workout routine at a concert in northwestern China. Videos of Ella Chen Jiahua showing her contracted belly, with her ribs prominently protruding, at her concert in Xian, Shaanxi province on March 7 have gone viral on social media, China Youth Daily reported. Chen, 44, tells her audiences: “I would like to perform a stunt for you. Please look at me carefully. Cameramen, please zoom in on me.” She begins the movement while... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalit…

Malaysia tackles religious, racial tensions as 2 charged over provocative posts Malaysia charged two men on Tuesday and moved to bring back another from Thailand as authorities sought to contain a wave of religiously charged provocations that has sharpened tensions in the multicultural country. Controversial preacher Zamri Vinoth, 41, and activist Arun Dorasamy, 56, both pleaded not guilty in separate magistrates’ courts to charges linked to social media posts that prosecutors said were capable of “causing public alarm”. The cases come as conservative groups push for the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346845/m…

Suspected wartime mortar round detonated safely at Hong Kong construction site A suspected wartime mortar round has been safely detonated by bomb disposal officers at a Hong Kong construction site, with no evacuations needed. A source familiar with the matter confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the suspicious object workers discovered at 9.32am on Tuesday at a construction site at Kwu Tung North Multi-Welfare Services Complex was an unexploded wartime mortar round. “Since the mortar round was inside the construction site, officers on site confirmed that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/33468…

Hong Kong to unveil plans this month for Tai Po fire victims to retrieve belongings Hong Kong authorities will announce arrangements this month for residents displaced by the deadly Tai Po blaze to return to their fire-damaged flats and collect personal belongings by the end of April, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka‑chiu on Tuesday also said the government would fully cooperate with an independent committee investigating the inferno, when asked if any officials would testify before the body as it begins hearings on Thursday. Speaking before the weekly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/33468…

CK Hutchison subsidiary slams Panama for missing arbitration deadline A subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison has accused Panama of missing a deadline for international arbitration initiated by the company, as it confirmed its offices had earlier been raided by alleged “armed security forces”. Panama Ports Company (PPC) on Tuesday also accused authorities of silencing the country’s press and disregarding the rule of law, as it continued to paint the Central American nation as a risk to foreign investors following the seizure of its two terminals. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/art…

Philippines’ missile question, Nepal’s new PM is a rapper: 7 Asia highlights We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. As US missiles leave South Korea, the Philippines asks: are we next? 2. Nepal just elected a rapper for PM. His foreign policy has a new beat 3. Why has the US-Israeli war on Iran left Brics speechless? 4. ‘He’s so handsome’: Japan’s youngest governor, 36, sets social... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3346822/philippine…

China and Chile wrap up Atacama Trench mission as US pressure mounts Chinese and Chilean scientists have reached the bottom of the Atacama Trench, where light does not penetrate, in what they called the “most ambitious” deep-sea expedition ever conducted in the eastern Pacific. The joint mission to one of the deepest ocean trenches – which runs parallel to the coasts of Peru and Chile – took place from January 19 to March 5. It comes as Chile’s expanding cooperation with China on science and technology has inflamed geopolitical tensions with the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3346781/c…

Japan to raise residency fees by up to 2,900% despite deepening labour crisis Settling in Japan as a foreign national is about to become much more expensive after the government passed legislation to sharply increase visa application fees. Critics argue the policy is short-sighted amid a worsening labour shortage, but conservatives have dismissed such concerns, insisting that robots and artificial intelligence will soon replace workers in low-paid, service-sector roles. Detractors also contend the legislation is designed to deter less affluent migrants from developing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346825/…

Judge quashes subpoenas of Fed chair, says investigation was ‘politically motivated’ A federal judge on Friday quashed US Justice Department subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve in January, a severe blow to an investigation that has already attracted strong criticism on Capitol Hill. Judge James Boasberg said that a “mountain of evidence suggests” that the purpose of the subpoenas was simply to pressure the Fed to cut its key interest rate, as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded. Fed Chair Jerome Powell revealed the investigation on January 11, prompting Senator... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/arti…

2 Tiananmen vigil activists have case to answer in subversion trial, court rules Two former leaders of a now-disbanded alliance behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil have a case to answer in a high-profile trial after judges ruled the evidence supported prosecutors’ allegations that the activists incited others to overthrow the Communist Party leadership. Three High Court judges on Friday found that the evidence appeared to suggest Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung committed a subversion offence as leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article…

HKEX opens door for small innovative firms to list with biggest reforms since 2018 Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has unveiled its biggest listing reforms since 2018, broadening its special listing regime for innovative companies and opening the door for smaller and more diverse firms to list in the city, the bourse operator said on Friday. HKEX proposed lowering the minimum threshold for companies to list under the weighted voting rights regime to a minimum valuation of HK$20 billion (US$2.6 billion), half the current requirement of at least HK$40 billion. It will... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3346458/hkex-opens-…